Twitter gave ‘Blue Tick’ to bots, fake accounts – morningtidings

Twitter’s coveted ‘Blue Tick’ verification badge turns out to be flawed. Twitter users have time and again pointed out how deserving people are denied the verification badge while it mindlessly verified and gave Blue Ticks to several fake accounts and even bots. The social media giant has admitted to approving Blue Tick verification badges to a “small number” of fake accounts.
Data scientist Conspirador Norteño took to Twitter to publish details about six verified accounts which were created less than a month back and hadn’t posted a single tweet. Also, the display photos weren’t even real and all the accounts exactly had 1000 followers. What’s concerning is that there may be other verified fake accounts as well on Twitter.
Twitter recently relaunched the verification process and this incident definitely reveals that the process is not accurate. “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,” said Twitter in a statement to Daily Dot.

Twitter only took down the handles after the revelation was made by Conspirador Norteño. Twitter’s verification process is claimed to be quite rigorous but with bots and fake accounts getting verified, Twitter needs a lot of explanation to do and also check its verification process.
Twitter introduced its verification program after a gap of a couple of years. However, when Twitter opened its verification program, a lot of users were not happy at being rejected. It was not just the rejection that rankled but how Twitter didn’t give them good enough reasons behind it.
Recently, it said that it will now give a better explanation as to why Blue Tick requests have been rejected for some users.
What you need to get a Blue Tick on Twitter
Twitter Blue Tick is only meant for governments, government officials, celebrities, athletes, companies, activists, influencers, news websites, journalists and other influential individuals.
“If you’re using a website to verify your authenticity, it must be the website for a Verified organisation. The website must also reference your name and Twitter account,” Twitter explained.
Also, the follower count matters. “For any company/brand/organisation and those applying as an activist/influential individual, your follower count must be in the top .05% of active accounts located in the same geographic region,” it said.