Twitter just made it easier to get the coveted blue tick
Twitter has made it easier for anyone to apply to get a verified user account - but it does not mean everyone would get a coveted blue tick mark.
The company announced on Tuesday it has created an online application process for Twitter accounts to receive their verified status.
"We hope opening up this application process results in more people finding great, high-quality accounts to follow, and for these creators and influencers to connect with a broader audience," said Tina Bhatnagar, vice president of User Services at Twitter in a media statement.
The application process started rolling out in the U.S. on Tuesday and will be available globally this week.
Verified accounts usually belong to people who exert a certain degree of influence, either by themselves or through their affiliated organizations.
These include public figures in politics, musicians, fashion designers, celebrities, sports personalities, businessmen, journalists, companies and even religious figureheads such as the Pope.
Twitter said on its website, accounts that get verified are "determined to be an account of public interest."
To get the blue badge, users will have to submit an online request with a verified phone number, an email address, a profile photo, header photo and various other information. Privacy setting on their accounts must also be set to public.
They must also state why Twitter should verify their account - for individuals, Twitter said on its website, it wants to understand their impact in their respective fields while for companies, it wants to know their mission.
Twitter also stated that it might request users to scan and upload a legible copy of their government-issued identification documents, such as passports or driver's licenses to confirm their identity.
The company said it has verified nearly 187,000 users since the process began in 2009 - the number is fairly small compared to the 310 million monthly active users it has.
The stringent requirements could likely be a deterrent against verifying abusive accounts. Because of its apparent anonymity, Twitter has seen a growing number of anonymous users who have harassed and abused others, particularly celebrities.
Most recently, Leslie Jones, star of the new "Ghostbusters" movie was subjected to a torrent of racist and sexist messages, some of which she called out on her timeline.