For those worried about rampant harassers getting the Twitter blue checkmark

Twitter is opening the blue checkmark to everyone. Beginning today, the company will let users ask for a validated account on its website by completing a type with a verified phone number and email address, a profile photo, and added details concerning why verification is required or handy. In defining who will get authorized, Twitter still says "an account may be validated if it is identified to be of public interest." Prior to today, Twitter tended just to confirm public figures, brands, and individuals in media, politics, sports, business, and other prominent sectors.



" We wish to make it even easier for people to discover creators and influencers on Twitter so it makes good sense for us to let people apply for verification," stated Tina Bhatnagar, Twitter's vice president of user services, in a declaration. "We hope opening this application procedure results in more people finding excellent, premium accounts to follow, and for these developers and influencers to get in touch with a more comprehensive reader."



TWITTER PREFERS GENUINE NAMES AND PRECISE PROFILE IMAGES WHEN DECIDING WHO GETS VERIFIED



It's uncertain why Twitter is opening the process to the general public. The company states it has about 187,000 validated accounts, however around 310 million monthly active users. It is unclear how to get your Twitter account verified but the disparity there, together with increased pressure to offer anti-harassment tools, implies increasingly more users may only be communicating with those who share their verification status. For instance, Twitter lets confirmed users filter their notices to only show replies, points out, or likes by other verified users. (The new Engage app provides some of those features to routine users too.).



This is by design, as Twitter's harassment problem as grown so bad that certain subsets of prominent users on the platform have selected not to subject themselves to the random attacks of strangers. Simply yesterday, comedian and Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones underwent a severe quantity of racist remarks and hate speech from largely anonymous users, pressing her to call for much better stronger Twitter standards. "We count on people to report this type of habits to us but we are continuing to invest heavily in enhancing our tools and enforcement systems to avoid this type of abuse," a Twitter spokesperson told BuzzFeed in reaction to Jones' remarks. "We realize we still have a lot of work in front people before Twitter is where it must be on how we manage these concerns.".



It will be fascinating to see how an open application procedure changes understanding of Twitter verification. 



Among the worst errors Twitter made was making a few anti-abuse features only readily available to confirmed users; that seems to be changing.



For those stressed over widespread harassers acquiring the blue checkmark, the system in place does not appear to undermine anti-harassment procedures. Twitter's support page states it prefers people who utilize their real name or recognizable stage name, as well as a profile or header image that accurately represents the person. You can also supply URLs to support the request, and Twitter reserves the right to demand a published scan of a government-issued ID.



TWITTER MAY STILL ONLY VERIFY PUBLIC FIGURES.



It's still unclear if Twitter plans to verify daily people who submit the form, or stick with its previous practice of only giving it to public figures and industry users, like journalists. If a critical mass of users do opt for verification-- and ultimately use their real name and pictures-- it might spell the end of the egg avatar, or at least could drastically minimize the exposure of anonymous users.



Although anonymity has actually been a trademark feature of Twitter because its launch, the vitriolic nature of the user base has forced the business to make tough choices about its commitment to the approach. Still, many critics of Twitter's policies say it still has actually refrained from doing enough. This change might be a chance for the business to provide an option to a majority of its users: form up, or be left.