Twitter is working on a new verification system although details on when it will go live remain unknown. Twitter verification is one of the features that many have been requesting ever since the previous system stopped accepting new applications. The absence of the featue has become even more notable in recent months, due to the need for verified accounts having never been greater.

Originally designed as a simple means to identify the owner of an account had been verified by Twitter, it has since taken on much more meaning. Now, commonly referred to as the ‘blue check,’ many hold the Twitter verification as a badge of honor. One that verified users are proud of, and one non-verified users are eager to get hold of. However, since the old system closed down in late 2017, unverified users have had no option to get verified, in spite of some users having been verified in the meantime.

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Jane Manchun Wong often reveals new features long before they are announced by digging into new and developer versions of apps and extracting relevant information, and the latest feature excavation by Wong highlights the return of Twitter verification. According to Wong’s Tweet, the new feature appears to be returning in the form of a new “request verification” button located in the “personal information” section of the app’s settings. However, there is currently no word on when a feature like this might go live with Twitter’s verification help pages continuing to officially state the verification process is on hold.

New Verification System Is Long Overdue

While some of those already verified by Twitter might not like the idea of the system returning, the fact Twitter has been operating without a verification process is concerning. Especially considering authenticity of accounts and misinformation have become big topics in tech since the previous verification system closed down. Of course, that's not to say Twitter has not been verifying people in the meantime, as it has. However, those verification approvals have come at Twitter's discretion, and typically reserved for people of interest.

By opening up a new verification system, Twitter will be putting in place a way for users of the platform to confirm who they are, regardless of whether they are considered 'of interest' or not. This not only includes individual users, but also businesses that use Twitter as a means to reach existing and prospective customers, as they too have been locked out of the option to get verified over the years. In light of the effects of COVID-19, that's something which could prove particularly useful to small businesses right now.

The only issue now is knowing when a system like this will go live, if it goes live. While traces of the verification system have been spotted in the app, that’s not to say the new feature is ready for general consumption yet, or that Twitter has any intention to roll it out anytime soon. Not to mention, even if the new verification does go live soon, it might only act as a way to shift Twitter user attention back to the lack of an edit button.

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Source: Jane Manchun Wong/Twitter