One month after Twitter Chief Elon Musk said on Twitter that he was working on a new feature specifically for brands and organizations to fight identity theft, the company just rolled out a new verification badge that can appear alongside an account's verified checkmark.
In this photo illustration, the Twitter app is seen in the Apple App Store on an Apple iPhone 13 Pro in Washington, DC, on November 28, 2022. - Twitter owner Elon Musk on November 28 opened fire against Apple over its tight control of what is allowed on the App Store, saying the iPhone maker has threatened to oust his recently acquired social media platform. SAMUEL CORUM/AFP via Getty Images
(Photo : SAMUEL CORUM/AFP via Getty Images) In this photo illustration, the Twitter app is seen in the Apple App Store on an Apple iPhone 13 Pro in Washington, DC, on November 28, 2022. - Twitter owner Elon Musk on November 28 opened fire against Apple over its tight control of what is allowed on the App Store, saying the iPhone maker has threatened to oust his recently acquired social media platform.
Affiliate Verification Badge
Twitter launched the 'Affiliate' verification badge that would allow different brands and organizations to identify accounts associated with them. Engadget reported that this badge will point users to the account's parent or primary account of the brand.
Brands now also have square profile pictures for users to easily identify and differentiate their presence on the application. Once users click the golden checkmark, it will say "This account is verified because it's an affiliate of @Twitter on Twitter."
Businesses and organizations that were previously verified through the old system will automatically have their blue check marks converted to gold. Twitter Product Lead Esther Crawford stated that the company will open up a process soon for more businesses to apply for this kind of verification.
NEW! Twitter just added a new ‘Affiliate’ verification badge ⭐️😮
Brands will be able to verify other associated accounts as affiliated with their main Twitter account
Affiliate accounts show a miniture version of the main accounts avatar next to the verified check mark. pic.twitter.com/WlDHbrLUnT
Social Media Consultant and Industry Analyst Matt Navarra shared some screenshots of the new verification badge. When users click the Twitter logo beside the golden checkmark of @TwitterSupport, users will proceed to Twitter's official account.
Gray Verification Check Marks
Aside from this, Twitter also rolled out another verification system on the platform where TechCrunch reported the differences between these to avoid confusion about these badges.
State-affiliated media that do not have editorial independence is included in this sector where a "podium icon" can be seen through the check mark. For a government account, a "flag icon" can also be seen to notify users that this is an account belonging to a government sector or an official.
US election candidates also have a separate verification where a "ballot box icon" can be seen on the candidates' accounts.
Twitter also released in February this year a label for useful and positive bots in the platform, where an automated label can be seen through these accounts. However, it is an open secret that the new Twitter chief does not like bots in the platform, which means that this label might not survive for a long time.
Lastly, professional accounts can also identify themselves with labels like "Coffee Shop," "Doctor," "Reporter," "Singer," and so on.
