“Since then, we haven’t been clear about who can become verified and when, why an account might be unverified, or what it means to be verified,” Twitter said in the blog post.
The company laid out more detailed criteria for the “core types” of notable, active accounts it will verify, such as government officials, companies, non-profits, news organisations, entertainers, sports teams, athletes and activists.
Twitter said it also may verify accounts that meet other standards such as being one of the top-followed accounts in the user’s country and having “off-Twitter notability,” which could be assessed through Google search trends, Wikipedia references or coverage in news outlets.
Twitter also released proposed grounds for denying verification, for example, accounts that have been locked out for violating rules in the last six months or accounts of individuals associated with hateful content or who have been found to have committed “gross human rights violations.”
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The company said it may cut the blue badge from accounts that severely or repeatedly violate rules, such as its policies on hateful conduct, civic integrity or glorification of violence. But it said these removals would not be automatic and would be assessed case by case.
Twitter aims to introduce the final policy on December 17. It also indicated plans for more ways for users to identify themselves with new account types and labels.
Reuters
