Accounts of public interest, particularly those maintained by individuals and organizations in “music, acting, fashion, government, politics, religion, journalism, media, sports, business, and other key interest areas” are all up for consideration, according to Twitter. “We hope opening up this application process results in more people finding great, high-quality accounts to follow, and for these creators and influencers to connect with a broader audience,” Tina Bhatnager, Twitter’s vice president of user services, said in a prepared statement.
Twitter originally introduced account verification in 2009 and has verified almost 187,000 accounts to date, according to the company. The designation is largely symbolic, but also a defensive move against the untold number of impersonators, satirists, trolls and hatemongers who roam freely on Twitter. Oftentimes the dynamic between fans and celebrities or public figures on Twitter is only rewarding if the authenticity of the user being followed is endorsed.
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Trust matters on Twitter and that’s exactly why anyone who wants to be verified should take steps to do so. If you carry any impact in your community, field of work or areas of heightened awareness and visibility, a verified account will let your followers know you’re the real deal.
Follow these steps to give yourself the best chance of getting verified.
Twitter says it will respond to all requests via email, and users who get denied can submit another request 30 days later.