Twitter starts handing out 'official' checkmarks again

Twitter's "official" gray checkmarks appear to return to accounts owned by brands, publishers, and other public figures. The website initially rolled out its official badges — the ones you can't buy with its new $8 Blue subscription service — on Nov. 9. But it suspended the rollout and removed them from accounts that already had them, including Engadget's, hours later. Twitter Vice President Esther Crawford explained that the checkmarks will be back, it's just that the social network will distribute them to "government and commercial entities" initially.

As reported by The Verge, the badge has now started to reappear on the accounts of brands and companies like Coca-Cola and Nintendo of America. Twitter's own accounts also display the gray tick. And some publications like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and Wired have them too. It's unclear if the rollout has really started this time, and if it has anything to do with the influx of impersonator and parody accounts that have flooded the website since its $8 verification began.

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Soon after the company's paid verification program was implemented, fake accounts applied for membership and got verified. This led to legitimate-looking accounts tweeting questionable things, like a fake Nintendo of America posting a photo of Mario giving the middle finger to Twitter and a fake LeBron James announcing he was asking for a trade. On its support account, Twitter said yesterday that it was "not yet labeling accounts 'official'" but was "aggressively pursuing impersonation and deception". The gray tick, however, could help people determine if they are dealing with genuine companies and public figures.

In response to the situation, the company implemented a new rule that blocks accounts created on or after November 9 from its $8 Blue subscription to prevent them from getting instant verification. Twitter owner Elon Musk also announced that in the future, accounts doing parody impersonation must include the word "parody" in their name, not just in their bio. This has been Twitter policy for years, but we suspect the website will now enforce the rule more strictly in light of recent events.

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