How Does Twitter Verify Celebrity Accounts?

If you're well known or downright famous, you might consider getting your Twitter account verified so that followers know that you're the real deal. Be aware that this service is not offered to the public anymore and is only available to Twitter partners and advertisers, in addition to accounts of highly famous public figures that deal with identity confusion on the site.

While Twitter continues to give celebrities, athletes, musicians, actors and others a platform to directly connect with their fans, the social networking site remains tight-lipped about how it determines if those stars are really who they say they are.

The real Charlie Sheen joined Twitter on March 1. Prior to that, an imposter or “squatter,” as Twitter refers to those tweeting under a false name, had secured the handle @charliesheen. The faux Sheen was quickly removed and the former “Two and a Half Men” star slipped into the handle with a “verified” blue check on his account. He now has more than two million followers.

Twitter has 175 million users and counting and only select, mostly high-profile people are granted “verified” status. How are verified users vetted? Twitter refused to explain the process, saying via e-mail, “we continue to very selectively verify accounts most at risk for impersonation on a one-off and highly irregular basis.”

But what does that actually mean?

Comedian Dane Cook (@danecook) said he “hit a few 100,000 followers and one day it was just verified.” Adam Leber, Britney Spears’ manager said, “we reached out to the head of Twitter to verify ourselves.” The musicians’ account (@britneyspears), which several people including Spears, her assistant, and Leber all post to, received a blue check shortly after the request was made.

The “verified” status, according to Cook, “gives fans an opportunity to know this is 90 percent the real guy, his real account.”

For “The Vampire Diaries” actor Ian Somerhalder (@iansomerhalder), who’s in the process of creating his non-profit, the Ian Somerhalder Foundation, being verified eliminates the possibility of account misuse. “I never want anyone on the twitterverse to think I’m selling anything. It’s just about being honest with people.”

However, if you (or your boss/client) fit the bill, here is how to go about getting your Twitter account verified.

Steps

1. Determine if you qualify for a verified Twitter account. Twitter verifies as few accounts as possible and only for legitimate reasons. Reasons for asking Twitter include being a highly recognizable public figure (athletes, artists, public officials, public or government agencies, etc.), or if your name and likeness is parodied or impersonated on multiple Twitter accounts, leading to identity confusion.

o             Though Twitter does not have an official stance on this, several Twitter-verified companies have indicated that spending $5000/month on Twitter advertising will also get (and keep) your account verified.

o             Twitter will not consider you for verification based on your number of followers. Twitter urges Tweeters to "Please note that follower count is not a factor in determining whether an account meets our criteria for verification.

o             Twitter recommends embedding a Twitter "Follow" button on your official website as the best alternative to verification. This allows you to obtain followers directly from your official site, which is very helpful if there are multiple Twitter accounts that use your name.

o             Twitter also recommends including a link to an official website as an alternative to verification.

2. Read the Verified Account terms. These terms explain what a verified account is, what it means to be verified, who has the verified badge, identifying a verified account, etc.

3. Find out how to apply for a verified account. Send a direct message to https//twitter.com/♯!/verified and be sure to have the following information ready.

o             Account name

o             Full name

o             Location

o             Official website (you will be given a suggestion to put the Twitter logo or badge on your official website to speed up verification)

o             Bio information (information about yourself in fewer than 160 characters)

o             Primary contact name (referring to the individual who manages the account)

o             Additional Contact Information

4. Wait for Twitter to respond. If you don't get a reply shortly, you can contact Twitter by snail mail or through Twitter. Keep in mind that Twitter deals with a high volume of verification requests, and that it focuses first on the most "highly sought users.

5.Do not change your account information. Once you have received a verification badge, it is important to keep your account information the same. Changing information, such as your profile image, can cause Twitter to remove the badge, forcing you to contact them again