Twitter revealed plans today to reinstate its verification process in 2021, and is now initiating a period of public input regarding the updated guidelines before they are put into effect. The new policy will initially focus on verifying accounts within six distinct categories: government representatives; businesses, brands, and non-profit groups; news outlets; the entertainment industry; sports; and activists, organizers, and other prominent individuals. It is possible that additional categories will be added at a later date.

Twitter previously suspended its verification program in 2017 while it worked to clarify the criteria for receiving a blue checkmark, which signifies an account belonging to a public figure.

The initial concern arose from Twitter’s verification of Jason Keller, the organizer of the harmful white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Following public criticism, Twitter justified its decision by referencing its existing policies, which stated that blue badges were granted to accounts of “public interest.”

However, many argued that deserving individuals were still facing difficulties in obtaining verification, and that validating a known white supremacist was not aligned with the public good. Consequently, Twitter decided in November 2017 to temporarily halt all account verifications.

The following year, the company announced that work on the verification system would be postponed indefinitely, allowing Twitter to concentrate its efforts on maintaining election integrity. This proved to be a substantial undertaking.

Throughout this year, Twitter did verify medical professionals sharing information about COVID-19 and identified candidates running for office, but these actions were handled on a case-by-case basis.

With the 2020 U.S. presidential election concluded and a transition underway, Twitter states that development of its revised verification system will now resume.

The company has released a draft of its new verification policy to gather public feedback. This policy provides more specific details regarding account verification eligibility and introduces new requirements that may prevent some accounts from receiving the blue badge.

For instance, Twitter stipulates that an account must be “prominent and active,” and profiles must be complete to be considered. Twitter will also revoke or deny verification to accounts that repeatedly violate the Twitter Rules.

The company also acknowledged that it had previously verified accounts that would not meet these new standards. To address this, Twitter will automatically remove badges from inactive or incomplete accounts to streamline the process.

The policy also outlines the specific criteria for determining eligibility within each supported category.

News organizations, for example, must adhere to established journalistic standards, while independent journalists need to provide at least three published bylines from qualifying organizations within the past six months. Entertainers must be able to demonstrate credits on IMDb or references in verified news sources. Government officials must provide a public reference on an official government website, party website, or multiple references in news media. Sports figures must be listed on team websites, rosters, or sports data services like Sportradar. Other verification pathways exist within these categories as well.

The requirements for public figures are more comprehensive, requiring them to meet two distinct criteria for “prominence”—one measuring their activity on Twitter and another demonstrating their recognition outside of the platform, such as a Wikipedia page, Google Trends profile, or presence on an official advocacy website.

“We understand that a new policy alone cannot resolve verification challenges—and that this initial policy won’t encompass every verification scenario—but it represents a crucial first step in providing greater transparency and fairer standards for verification on Twitter as we refocus on this effort,” a company statement explained. “This policy version is a starting point, and we plan to significantly expand the categories and criteria for verification over the next year.”

Twitter users can submit feedback on the new verification policy starting today, November 24, 2020, through December 8, 2020. The policy is available in English, Hindi, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese. Users can respond to Twitter’s survey or share their thoughts publicly using the hashtag #VerificationFeedback.

Furthermore, Twitter is collaborating with local non-governmental organizations and its Trust and Safety Council to gather diverse perspectives.

Following the feedback period, which ends December 8, 2020, Twitter will train its team on the new policy and release the final version by December 17, 2020. The verification system itself, including a new public application process, will launch in early 2021.

Although Twitter is allowing time for policy adjustments based on public input, it had already begun developing the technology for the verification application process.

TechCrunch reported in June that Twitter was building a new in-app system for requesting verification. Reverse engineer Jane Manchun Wong discovered and shared a screenshot of a new “Request Verification” option within Twitter’s account settings. At the time, Twitter did not specify when the new system would become available.

While not all accounts will qualify for verification, Twitter is developing additional features to help differentiate accounts on its platform. In 2021, the company will introduce new account types and labels to help users identify themselves on their profiles. Further details about these features will be announced soon.