Twitter has announced plans to relaunch its user verification program in 2021.
The company, which has struggled with misinformation and fake news agendas of late in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic and US presidential election, has issued a draft of its verification guidelines, which it will use when deciding whether someone should be verified.
The social network paused its verification scheme back in 2017 and announced a year later that it would allow everyone to be verified. This program was ultimately scrapped, and now the company is working on a clearer, more streamlined account verification programme.
Twitter has confirmed that, in order to be verified, you’ll need to fall into one of six categories. Either be a government official, a brand or non-profit organisation, work in entertainment, news, sport, or activism. This makes it clear as to which accounts will and will not be verified.
“Activists, organizers, and other influential individuals: Outside the professional categories defined above, people who are using Twitter effectively to bring awareness, share information, and galvanize community members around a cause, to bring about socio-economic, political, or cultural change, or to otherwise foster community, may be verified,” the company said in its draft guidelines.
The company has also confirmed that it will remove verification from inactive accounts, and is accepting feedback on the new verification process until December 8. It will then issue the final version of the policy before the end of the year, and launch it in the first half of 2021.
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