Micro-blogging website, Twitter has confirmed taking down six inauthentic accounts they had mistakenly verified. The accounts in mention include; @aykacmis, @degismece, @anlamislar, @aykacti, @kayitlii, and @donmedim, were first spotted by a Twitter user Conspirador Norteno (@conspirator0), a data scientist focused on disinformation.
Meet @aykacmis, @degismece, @anlamislar, @aykacti, @kayitlii, and @donmedim, a sextet of blue-check verified Twitter accounts created on June 16th, 2021. None has yet tweeted and all have roughly 1000 followers (and mostly the *same* followers).
cc: @ZellaQuixote pic.twitter.com/V82Wtu0SNr
— Conspirador Norteño (@conspirator0) July 12, 2021
“We mistakenly approved the verification applications of a small number of inauthentic (fake) accounts. We have now permanently suspended the accounts in question, and removed their verified badge, under our platform manipulation and spam policy,” a Twitter spokesperson told Daily Dot in a statement.
To be verified on Twitter, among the criteria the micro-blogging website looks at; the account should have a profile name and image and should have logged into & active in the last 6 months. The six users had all been created just 26 days ago and the accounts shared nearly the same followers and had not made a single tweet. The profile pictures for two of the accounts were stock images, while others might have been created by A.I.
While many Twitter users question how the six accounts got verified quickly, the former chief security officer (CSO) at Facebook, Alex Stamos (@alexstamos) in one tweet said, the micro-blogging website might have a malicious or bribed insider who might have verified the accounts. He later in a separate tweet confirmed that it was a malicious insider.
“I’ve heard they ruled out a malicious insider. Looking forward to hearing about what happened,” said Stamos.
On 20th, May 2021, Twitter relaunched a new verification application process and reviewing public applications for verifications on Twitter. The social media giants said the application rollout marks the next milestone in their plans to give more transparency, credibility, and clarity to verification on the platform.
The relaunched verification process allows Twitter users to request verification in-app, right from their account settings. The app needs to be up-to-date to have this option available in your account settings. To qualify for verification, your account needs to meet the revamped set of eligibility criteria based on the idea that an account should be Authentic, Notable, and Active.
The verification is still ongoing and users can still submit their applications for verifications. To qualify for verification, you must fit the criteria of one of the six categories listed below:
- Government.
- Companies, brands, and organizations.
- News organizations and journalists.
- Entertainment.
- Sports and gaming.
- Activists, organizers, and other influential individuals.
In addition to the category-specific eligibility criteria outlined, your account must be complete, meaning you have a profile name, a profile image, and either a confirmed email address or phone number. Your account must have been active within the last six months and has a record of adherence to the Twitter Rules.
Once you submit your application, you can expect an emailed response from Twitter within a week at most. The verification can take less than a week, it all depends on how many open applications are in the queue. If your application is approved, you’ll see the blue badge automatically on your profile.
If your account is not verified, Twitter allows you to reapply after 30 days.
