Twitter to Add More Context for Why You Don’t Deserve a Blue Checkmark Leave a comment

Now when Twitter rejects your request for that coveted blue checkmark, it’ll be personal. The social media platform announced on Friday plans to provide users with a more thorough explanation of why they failed to meet its verification requirements, as opposed to just firing off generic rejection emails.

“We’ve heard your feedback that we can be more clear on why an application didn’t get approved. Decision emails will now give more context on why requests don’t meet our criteria,” Twitter wrote.

This announcement comes after Twitter relaunched its public verification process in May for the first time since 2017… and then promptly hit pause on it again after being flooded with verification requests. All the while, Twitter quietly opened up the process to certain companies, brands, news organizations, activists, and other accounts that it’s deemed worthy of a blue checkmark.

Twitter said Friday that it’s slowly been rolling out public access once more to keep from overwhelming its team, and the option to apply will soon be available to all users. With this in mind, it’s working to make the entire process more transparent, such as by adding additional context to rejection emails.

“[We] know that generic rejection emails were confusing and frustrating for folks, so getting more specific information into the emails about verification decisions has been a top priority for our team,” said Twitter product lead of verification B Byrne.

Twitter also said it plans to add more explicit guidelines within the application and will continue to incorporate feedback about how to make the verification process more user-friendly.

“Patience isn’t part of the criteria, but we appreciate yours,” Twitter wrote.

So if you (like me) are still among the checkless plebs, look on the bright side! At least Twitter will explain why you aren’t worthy of verification the next time it turns you down.