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Twitter launches, then kills, then relaunches 'official' gray verification tags
- Twitter introduced a second verification tier to its platform.
- The “official” gray checkmark is reserved for specific accounts, including government, company, media, and celebrity accounts.
- Although Elon Musk halted the feature hours after it rolled out, some accounts are now displaying the checkmark regardless.
Update, November 11, 2022 (12:55 AM ET): After Twitter’s CEO Elon Musk seemingly “killed” the gray verification checkmark just hours after rollout, several accounts are now displaying the tag anyway. First spotted by The Verge, several of Twitter’s accounts and big brands like Coca-Cola, Nintendo of America, and The New York Times now have the “official” flag alongside their name.
According to a tweet by Twitter Support on November 10, the company was putting the official label rollout on ice while it “aggressively” addressed “impersonation and deception” on the site. Considering the latest evidence on the platform itself, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Expect to see more accounts gain the tag in the coming days, unless it’s canned once again.
Original article, November 9, 2022 (02:20 AM ET): If you were wondering just how Twitter’s new paid-for verification system might affect important accounts, wonder no more. Twitter will implement a second checkmark utilizing an “official” tag for “select accounts” on the platform.
According to Twitter’s head of early stage products Esther Crawford (h/t Engadget), the new label will help users “distinguish between Twitter Blue subscribers with blue checkmarks and accounts that are verified as official.”
A lot of folks have asked about how you’ll be able to distinguish between @TwitterBlue subscribers with blue checkmarks and accounts that are verified as official, which is why we’re introducing the “Official” label to select accounts when we launch. pic.twitter.com/0p2Ae5nWpO— Esther Crawford ✨ (@esthercrawford) November 8, 2022
Twitter official accounts vs blue ticks: What’s the difference?
This differentiation is essential. Anyone can have a blue tick plastered next to their Twitter handle if they can fork out $8 a month for Twitter Blue. However, the “official” verification tag cannot be bought and may include “government accounts, commercial companies, business partners, major media outlets, publishers and some public figures.” Not all previously verified accounts will be marked as official, either, but its unclear how Twitter will decide which accounts are considered worthy of the new verified tag.
It shouldn’t be too long until we find out. Twitter’s revised verification system is expected to roll out in the days ahead.