Twitter Is Making It Easier to Request a Verified Account

Verified accounts are given a little blue badge.

Twitter is making it easier for its users to request one of the little blue verified account checkmarks that many celebrities, musicians and other public figures have.

The social media network announced Tuesday that it will soon start accepting and reviewing applications for verification. Beginning July 19, anyone with a Twitter account will be able to fill out a form for verification consideration. In a post in the Twitter help center, the company says that it will consider accounts that are attached to a verified phone number and email address as well as those that have a bio, profile photo, birthday and website. Tweets must also be set to public.

It's a departure for the company, which previously did not accept requests from the public for verification and instead noted on the site that it might reach out to influential users to offer them the verified badge.

Twitter's criteria for verification remains vague, even under the more open application process. The company says it approves accounts "determined to be of public interest" and that it typically verifies accounts "maintained by users in music, acting, fashion, government, politics, religion, journalism, media, sports, business and other key interest areas."

Tina Bhatnagar, Twitter's vp user services, says the change in the verification process will help users find more public figures to follow. "We want to make it even easier for people to find creators and influencers on Twitter so it makes sense for us to let people apply for verification," Bhatnagar said. "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."

Twitter began verifying accounts in 2009 and says it has 187,000 verified accounts today. Among the first accounts to receive the blue badge were @CDCgov, @NASAArmstrong, @KimKardashian and @Oprah.