You can apply to get verified on Twitter again starting next year

New Delhi, India

Twitter Inc on Tuesday released plans to bring back its verification programme on the site. Earlier, Twitter had promised to revamp its verification mechanism which provides blue ticks to prominent faces on the website.

In a blog post, Twitter claims it intends to relaunch the verification programme, which includes a new application process - as early as 2021. Additionally, the company is inviting public feedback on the new policy, which would be considered before December 8.

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In 2017, Twitter had paused its verification programme after many users complained about how “arbitrary” it felt. Many were also confused, and felt that the blue tick was seen as an endorsement or an indicator of importance.

Since then, the company claims to have been working on the verification model, but only verifying health officials in the last few months. "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 intends to verify the following people - government officials, companies, nonprofits, news organisations, entertainers, sports teams, athletes and activists.

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Twitter will continue to verify accounts that are top followed in the user’s country, and those that possess “off-Twitter notability” - which will be assessed through Google search, references in Wikipedia, and mention in news outlets.

Additionally, Twitter may remove blue ticks from accounts that continuously violate company’s code of conduct.