The blue tick on Twitter can pretty much turn you into a mini-celebrity. This is because it gets you a bit of respect on these Twitter streets. The reason Twitter will verify an account is if it is convinced that the account is of public interest.
In essence, a verified tick means you are some kind of celebrity in your field. So public interest fields, according to Twitter, means “accounts maintained by users in music, acting, fashion, government, politics, religion, journalism, media, sports, business and other key interest areas.”
Twitter on its support site says, “The blue verified badge on Twitter lets people know that an account of public interest is authentic.” If you are a professional in your field, this means you should be able to qualify for a verified tick. The tick makes the account authentic and means that Twitter is saying that is the real person. The real tick is usually next to the name on the profile. It is fake if it appears anywhere else.
There is a disclaimer where Twitter says a verified tick might be that they are ascertaining that you are who you say you are but it is not an endorsement for the things that you write on the app. Twitter does not endorse the tweets of verified handles. It doesn’t also mean that everything that comes from a verified handle is true and credible. We see that with the @realDonaldTrump handle. That is the personal handle of the American president. This did not, however, stop Twitter from taking down a video he uploaded that broke copyright laws.
The tick prevents impersonation so you can be sure that you are not tweeting at a fake official account or making a complaint to a fake brand.
Of Twitter’s 335 million active users, there are lots of accounts created to imitate popular figures. For example, a popular multi-billionaire like Femi Otedola was quoted wildly to have said something he didn’t. An account that had a name similar to his had made a very convincing impersonation. The verified handle then debunked the news.
The process of getting verified is a bit subjective. Twitter will verify at its own discretion. Putting a request through does not guarantee a verification. The process also takes a while. They receive a number of applications, and you may have to wait a few weeks.
To have a verified account, there are a few basics to keep in mind first. Know that you must have a profile photo, a cover photo, your real and official profile name, a website for yourself, business or publication, confirmed email and phone number. Lastly, the account must be public.
You will then need to fill out a few forms where you will provide identification documents like your passport and other government-issued IDs. Twitter will also ask you why it should verify you. This is where you need to give a reason why you deserve the verification. There is also a column where you will need to share websites that have written or spoken of you. This will help Twitter confirm that you are who you say you are.
The part that you probably won’t be pleased to hear now is that Twitter is currently not taking verification applications at the moment. There is a little disclaimer in the support page that reads, “Important: Please note that our verified account program is currently on hold. We are not accepting any new requests at this time.” This means the verifications forms are currently unavailable. But you should be ready when they are.