Twitter has started letting all users request for a verified account, the company said in a release. The feature will require users to fill up a form with information like a verified phone number and email id, a bio, a website link, public Tweets, header and profile photos and a birth date, and submit it for verification. The social media platform will then decide which profiles to approve based on the submitted information. The company mentions that for individuals, it will look for the impact they had on their fields and for corporations, the company’s mission. Users will need to provide supporting URLs to support the account holder’s newsworthiness or relevancy in the field. Other than this, the company might request a government issued ID (like a passport) to confirm the user’s identity. Twitter will reply to applicants via email, and will allow users to reapply for verification in 30 days after receiving a reply, in case their request is denied. The company currently claims to have only 187,000 verified accounts on its platform, from a pool of over 310 million monthly active users. It mentions that this move will enable it to offer “audiences high-quality accounts to follow, and for creators to connect with a broader audience." Nikhil adds: This move allows for the proliferation of verified, "Real Name" profiles, by choice. Remember that Facebook's forced Real Name policy faced significant challenges earlier. Real Names bring accountability to social networks, and help them identify users in case of complaints…
