Twitter announced an update introducing a new process for verified accounts. “Verified accounts on Twitter allow people to identify key individuals and organizations on Twitter as authentic. An account may be verified if it is determined to be of public interest. Typically this includes accounts maintained by public figures and organizations in music, TV, film, fashion, government, politics, religion, journalism, media, sports, business, and other key interest areas,” said the company.
The verified badge is a flower-like blue symbol with a white checkmark in the middle that authenticates the account. It appears next to the name and is always in the same place, regardless of profile or theme color customizations. Accounts that don’t have the badge next to their name but that display it somewhere else, for example in the profile photo, header photo, or bio, are not verified accounts, according to Twitter.
In the past, Twitter permitted users to apply for verification, but cancelled the feature some years ago. Up until now, accounts were verified manually and users could not request it.
The update will be available globally by the end of the week.