Twitter is relaunching its user authentication process on January 20 after a lengthy consultation, with thousands of ‘blue tick’ accounts standing to lose their status.
The company took advice from thousands of consumers on how their policy on who can and cannot get a blue tick should be shaped and what rules should be enforced.
Inactive and incomplete accounts lose their badge once the rules take effect, although users will receive a warning and the opportunity to save their blue tick.
The social network said the inactive and incomplete policy would not affect previously confirmed accounts of deceased members.
Twitter says it will also try to remove the authentication status from accounts that violate their website’s rules again and again, a change that will take effect on January 20 along with its new verification process.
The company has not determined how many accounts will be affected by the change in rules, or whether blue tick removal notices have already been submitted.
Inactive and incomplete accounts lose their badge once the rules take effect, although users will receive a warning and the opportunity to save their blue tick.
The ability to request verification status was stopped in 2017 while Twitter reviewed the process, so these changes have been three years in development.
The company says it stopped testing after customers complained it was ‘feeling irrational and upset’, canceling a year-later development to focus put on the U.S. election.
However, the halt in public affirmation came at the same time as criticism from the public about giving a blue tick to Jason Kessler, the man believed to be organizing the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
In 2021, the company says it will also work on new ways to target different types of accounts – from journalists and celebrities to academics and sports stars.
They also plan to work on new ways to remember the accounts of people who have died so that they can be preserved while they are marked as no longer active.
Those at risk of losing the authentic badge will receive an email and an in-app notification telling them to make the necessary changes by January 20 to avoid removal of authentication.
All verified accounts must be ‘complete’, which includes a name, verified email address or phone number and profile page.
‘We will continue to evaluate these accounts on a case-by-case basis, and make improvements in 2021 on the link between the implementation of our rules and certification,’ the social network said in a blog post.
As part of the revised criteria, people will no longer have to include a bio image or a head image in an effort to make the process more restrictive.
Users applying for authentication must select a category to verify their authentication status and identity through links and other support materials.
‘We plan to use automated and humane review processes to ensure that we review applications thoughtfully and in a timely manner,’ the company said.
We also plan to give people the option to share demographic information after completing the new verification application so that we can better measure the fairness of our verification process. ‘
There are six main types of accounts that can apply for certification and get a blue tick for themselves – if they meet the right criteria.
These include those that are in line with the government, companies, brands and non-profit organizations, as well as news, sports, entertainment and entrepreneurs.
Twitter says other ‘influential people’ will be able to apply for confirmation.
Many of the new changes were designed in response to the 22,000 responses received by Twitter when they asked for feedback on new verification policies.
In 2021, the company says it will also work on new ways to target different types of accounts – from journalists and celebrities to academics and sports stars
This included clarification on the categories that consumers must select when applying – from News to News and News and from Sport to Sport and esports.
‘Many of you have suggested that we include departments for validation including academics, scientists and religious leaders, and we plan to explore specific areas for inclusion in the policy sometime next year. , ‘said the company.
Until then, any of these people may be eligible under the category of “Activists, organizers, and other influential people.”
This builds on one work that Twitter has been doing since March 2020 with global health authorities to identify experts tweeting about Covid-19.
Twitter has said it is also working on new account slips for automated accounts and a way to remember accounts for people who have died.
Adds that they have ‘already confirmed hundreds of accounts as part of this collaboration’ and will not be affected by the new policy.
The new policies – including the removal of authentication status from inactive accounts and those that violate Twitter rules – will take effect on January 20, 2021.
Twitter will continue efforts to register some accounts, including political candidates, government accounts and state-related media.
‘In addition to the changes we are making as we introduce re-authentication, we are also working on new ways to specify different account types,’ said Twitter.
This starts with automated accounts – services such as earthquake reports or non-manually updated self-care reminders.
‘In 2021, we plan to build a new account type to differentiate automated accounts from human-run accounts to make it easier for people to find out what a bot is and what is not. ‘