Twitter has officially democratized the coveted “blue tick” that previously was only available to prominent figures and organizations, the social-media site announced on Tuesday.
The blue badge is Twitter’s way of identifying authentic accounts, including those of celebrities, journalists, politicians, sports- and businesspeople and companies. Now, any user can apply for the verification tick to flank their Twitter handle through an online application.
Vice president of Twitter’s user services Tina Bhatnagar said in a statement that the move is an effort, “to help more people find great, high-quality accounts to follow, and for creators and influencers — no matter where they are in the world — to easily connect with a broader audience.”
In order to apply, a user must still meet certain criteria, however, including a verified phone number, email address, a website, and tweets that are publicly available to view.
Of Twitter’s 310 million monthly users, about 189,000 accounts are verified.
