One sure shot way to sound authentic on the microblogging site Twitter is to get verified. Much like other platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, Twitter also puts a blue-colored checkmark or badge on profiles to differentiate verified users from the rest.
However, for years, the social network hasn’t made efforts to fix the crappy Twitter verification system. Also, the privilege has only been available to public figures.
Thankfully, that’s about to change; Twitter is going to revamp its vetting system and possibly open it for all the users.
Jane Manchun Wong, a reverse engineering enthusiast, discovered an under-development feature called “Request Verification” that is present in Twitter Settings.
Twitter is working on “Request Verification” 👀
(I’m not Twitter employee. I’m not tech support) pic.twitter.com/ED58QsD7kM
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) June 7, 2020
Twitter’s verification system has been a controversial topic, mostly because of the opaqueness on who can get the blue checkmark. Being a public figure simply doesn’t make someone eligible, as many of them still don’t have it. Ironically, Wong’s own Twitter handle is yet to receive a blue checkmark.
It has been years since Twitter virtually scrapped its verification system in an attempt to streamline things. An online form allowing general users to apply for verification was also taken down. However, the latest developments suggest that that company will relaunch the feature with much preparation this time.
According to TechCrunch, Twitter confirmed Wong’s findings and said it would also publish the guidelines for the vetting system. Still, there is no information on what the guidelines would be, and when the new verification system will start rolling out.
Twitter deletes Trump’s tribute video to George Floyd
The US president Donald Trump is one proud owner of the blue badge who has been busy in a tug of war with the microblogging site. It all started when Twitter added a warning on Trump’s tweets made in response to the ongoing protests in the US.
In a recent development last week, Twitter and Facebook deleted a tribute video to George Floyd, which was posted on Trump’s accounts on the respective platforms. In a response tweet, Trump labeled the action as “illegal.”
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1269071790015471621?s=20
The video was taken down after receiving a DMCA complaint against the use of copyrighted material. However, it’s not known exactly what image or video clip was copyrighted.
Not true and not illegal.
This was pulled because we got a DMCA complaint from copyright holder. https://t.co/RAsaYng71a
— jack (@jack) June 6, 2020
The tribute video was also posted on YouTube and was available at the time of writing. YouTube told Politico that a different version of the video was uploaded to its platform. The company chose not to take it down after it reviewed the video and found that it didn’t “contain the allegedly infringing content.”
