Twitter Leak Reveals That Verification Requests Are Coming Back
Twitter is going to bring back its verification requests feature, at least according to a new leak. This tool enables users to directly request that Twitter verify their accounts, giving them the coveted blue checkmark on their profile. The feature was removed in 2017 after the social media company verified a white supremacist, but it may return alongside new policies that'll prevent a second mistake.
If you use Twitter regularly, you're likely aware of the blue checkmark, which is a blue badge placed on someone's profile if Twitter decides the account "of public interest" is also authentic. The blue checkmark has resulted in arguments, anguish, and gloating, but ultimately it is designed to make it easier to sort real people from impersonators.
After removing its verification requests feature in 2017, Twitter switched to a policy in which it would dole out the blue checkmarks as it saw fit, something that upset many users who lamented their inability to ask for an account review. That may change soon according to notorious feature-leaker Jane Manchun Wong, who recently published the following tweet:
Twitter is working on "Request Verification" 👀
(I'm not Twitter employee. I'm not tech support) pic.twitter.com/ED58QsD7kM
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) June 7, 2020
The feature is shown in the "Personal Information" section of the Twitter Account settings; it is under the "Profile" option. The return of this feature wouldn't be surprising — Twitter had said back in 2017 that it was 'pausing' the feature, not getting rid of it forever.
How the revived version of verification requests will look is another matter. TechCrunch claims that Twitter won't merely return the feature, but instead will also introduce clear guidelines on what it takes for an account to be verified. Unlike the previous internal guidelines, the new criteria will be published publicly. There's no word, however, on when this feature will go live.