Twitter to relaunch account verification process early 2021

On Tuesday, Twitter made an announcement that it would relaunch its account verification process early next year along with new guidelines for users looking for that little blue badge.

The Twitter announcement confirms an earlier report in June from apps researcher Jane Manchun Wong that suggests the company was creating a new verification system. In Tuesday's Twitter blog post, the company confirmed that this new system would be rolled out in "early 2021." Twitter is also requesting comments on a draft proposal for verification.

If no changes are made to this proposal, the accounts that would get verification includes activists, brands, companies, entertainment, government accounts, nonprofits, news media accounts, organizers, sports, and what Twitter calls " other influencers. "Each type of account must meet specific requirements, such as being profiled in a media outlet, to receive verification. The entire draft of the Twitter policy can be viewed here. After receiving comments, Twitter plans to publish the final policy on December 17.

Twitter also announced a new draft of the rules that explains when a verification badge could be removed. If a verified user changes their display name or bio to mislead people about their true identity, Twitter could remove their badge. Repeated violations of the terms of service could also result in loss of verified status.

"But the blue verified badge isn't the only way we are planning to distinguish accounts on Twitter. Heading into 2021, we're committed to giving people more ways to identify themselves through their profiles, such as new account types and labels," Twitter's Tuesday blog post read. "We'll share more in the coming weeks. This is the beginning of what we planned for 2021.

Twitter asks users to take a survey about its policy before December 8. If you'd rather tweet your comments, Twitter asks you to tag #VerificationFeedback in tweets.