Twitter appears to be testing a new verification process for Twitter Blue subscribers, that would require them to submit a government ID.
To verify a user’s Twitter account, code-level insights reveal a process for sending in a photo of their ID, both front and back, as well as a selfie photo.
The feature is listed alongside others that are only available to Twitter Blue subscribers, such as the ability to edit tweets, upload longer videos, organize bookmarks with folders, and other paid subscription perks.
The ID upload feature was discovered in Twitter’s code by product intelligence firm Watchful.ai last week, but it’s unclear whether it’s currently being tested externally.
The company told TechCrunch that it believes the feature is being tested in the United States, where it was discovered in the Android version of the Twitter app. However, it is unknown how many (or if any) Twitter users are currently using the feature.
As you may recall, under Elon Musk’s ownership, Twitter controversially revised its verification process, moving away from an older system in which users were verified if they were notable people of some sort — such as celebrities, politicians, or other public figures—to one in which users could simply pay for the verification checkmark.
If Twitter Blue becomes more widely available, adding a photo ID and selfie requirement to the verification process could help combat impersonation.
Twitter informs users that the new verification process will take approximately three minutes to complete and that their information and images will be shared with a third party to confirm their identity.
This suggests that Twitter isn’t handling the verification process directly, but is instead collaborating with a third-party provider.
If made public, government ID-based verification would be a significant change for Twitter’s ID verification system, which is currently focused on giving Twitter Blue subscribers increased visibility on the platform by prioritizing their tweets in the Notifications timeline.