Twitter is excited to share that starting Thursday, May 20; it will begin rolling out a new verification application process and reviewing public applications for verification on its platform.

Over the past several months, the tech giant has been working to bring clarity to the verification eligibility criteria and launched a new policy shaped by public feedback.

They also started enforcing that policy by automatically removing the verified badge from accounts that no longer meet the updated criteria for verification, such as those that are inactive or incomplete.

According to Twitter, the company is grateful for all who participated in the public feedback period and shared ideas for how to improve verification on Twitter.

Today’s application rollout marks the next milestone in Twitter’s plans to give more transparency, credibility and clarity to verification on the platform.

Below, is more information about this application process and what’s next in the consumer tech company’s work to help people understand who they’re interacting with on Twitter.

What it means to be verified on Twitter

The blue badge is one of the ways Twitter helps people distinguish the authenticity of accounts that are of high public interest.

It gives users more context about who they’re having conversations with so they can determine if it’s trustworthy, which the company’s research has shown leads to healthier, more informed conversations.

With today’s application launch, is an additional introduction of new guidelines for verified accounts on Twitter.

These verification guidelines are intended to encourage healthy conversations for the betterment of the Twitter community overall.

They follow the philosophy to lead by example, Tweet others how they want to be Tweeted, and serve the public conversation authentically, respectfully, and with consideration.

As always, all accounts, including verified accounts, must follow the Twitter Rules. And as previously shared, verified accounts that repeatedly violate the Twitter Rules are subject to have the blue badge removed.

Who’s eligible?

To qualify for verification, you must fit the criteria of one of the six categories listed below:

• Government
• Companies, brands and organizations
• News organizations and journalists
• Entertainment
• Sports and gaming
• Activists, organizers, and other influential individuals

In addition to the category-specific eligibility criteria outlined in Twitter’s verification policy, your account must be complete, meaning you have a profile name, a profile image and either a confirmed email address or phone number.

Your account must also be active within the last six months and have a record of adherence to the Twitter Rules. You can read more about ineligible accounts in the policy as well.

How can you apply to get verified?

Over the next few weeks, everyone on Twitter will start to see the new verification application directly in the Account Settings tab.

If you don’t see this update immediately today, don’t worry! It is being rolled out gradually to everyone to ensure that all applications are reviewed in a timely manner.

Here’s what the application flow will look like:

Once you submit your application, you can expect an emailed response from Twitter within a few days, but this could take up to a few weeks depending on how many open applications are in queue.

If your application is approved, you’ll see the blue badge automatically on your profile. If you think a mistake has been made, reapply 30 days after receiving a decision on your application.

What’s next

It may be known that the current verification policy may not represent all of the people who should be eligible to be verified on Twitter, so they’re planning to introduce more categories later this year, such as those for scientists, academics, and religious leaders. To stay up-to-date with verification, be sure to follow @Verified.

Twitter is excited to continue expanding the ways people can express themselves through their profile and launching new account types.

Since it’s last update, the tech company has been doing ongoing research on automated accounts and plans to introduce a way to denote this account type in the next few months, with memorialized accounts to follow.

The company is also exploring improvements to the Twitter profile to allow people to better express themselves, such as through an About page. More of that will be shared soon!

The consumer technology giant has made it known that it looks forward to continuing its work to give people more ways to identify and express themselves on Twitter to lead to more informed, healthier conversations.