Twitter is reportedly testing a different method to help people identify genuine accounts.
How it would appear
When a user verifies their phone number, a new tag will appear in their profile. A small label would appear at the bottom of the profiles of users who have verified their phone numbers.
For now, it’s a simple tag, shaped like a shield with the text “verified phone number”. The company will also provide an opt-out option for those who do not want this tag on their mobile numbers.
Double verification for blue tick
In order to add more authenticity to an account, the site advises users to verify their phone numbers and email addresses. It also designates such profiles with a separate label. You must verify your email address and phone number in order to receive the blue tick.
Importance
An official verification ensures that an account is genuine and not fake or a bot, which is the purpose of the verification.
The use of social media platforms to spread misinformation during elections could be even more helpful.
If Twitter decides to roll it out, the phone number tag could help judge an account’s trustworthiness.
Similar features
An existing feature allows users to label automated accounts so they know if a post was automated or if a human made it.
Twitter also allows users to associate up to 10 accounts with a single phone number.
Tweet view count
Tweets are also being tested with a view counter.
It will show up as a small eye symbol next to the heart symbol for likes, which will tell users the number of times their Tweet has been viewed.
However it’s unclear if this would be limited to the author or visible to everyone.
Edit tool
Twitter is also said to be working on an Edit tool.
By doing this, users will be notified if an embedded tweet has been edited or if there is a new version of the tweet.