What’s next for Twitter? No rest, that’s for sure. Twitter just keeps on taking blows; if it were a professional boxer, it’d be bloodied and bruised by now, but what’s even more impressive is the fact that it hasn’t thrown in the towel yet. With the company’s endlessly perplexing verification revamp now taking a new turn, with brand profiles now becoming square shaped, better highlighting them in-stream. 

Square Up

Posted by Matt Navara, an image showcases how brand profiles are now showing up as square tiles, in variance from the circle profiles for regular users. In a way, it kind of makes sense. The big issue with Twitter’s new $8 verification program is that it immediately opened up a new pathway to in-app impersonation, which has caused Twitter a myriad of headaches, hours after the option’s release.

To counter this, Twitter has since introduced ‘Gold’ checkmarks for brands, which can’t be bought so that users will know who the real official brand is, with these new square tiles adding another level of assurance as people will eventually come to understand how legitimate official brand profiles show up as squares, no longer circles. 

So, it’s an extra level of protection against impersonation. It’s good and logical, but only in the broader context of the initial verification revamp, which, in itself, makes no sense and was labeled as being a ‘confused, misguided, and ill-informed’ strategy from the start. Given how this is the path that Twitter has chosen to take, then additional protection against impersonation can only be a good thing, but you might have to update your business avatar for the new format. 

Oh, and there’s also this.

Twitter’s also rolling out yet another anti-impersonation tool, with company badges that will appear alongside the checkmarks for endorsed sub-profiles, as well as employee accounts of a company through, Via a new ‘Twitter Blue for Business’. While Twitter hasn’t shared Twitter Blue for Business pricing just yet, it says that will continue to add new elements to the program, helping brands to get more of their Twitter experience. 

The Wrap

Now, you have the standard ‘Circle’ for profile images with checkmarks for Twitter Blue subscribers or ‘legacy verified’ accounts, and ‘Square’ for brands, which will be accompanied by a Gold checkmark, that is, of course, unless you use NFT profile images, then the frame would be hexagonal. 

This new profile display is being rolled out from December 19, and will likely be present until the Chief Twit comes in and realizes that this plan is completely nuts. Twitter also notes that the new brand badges are now being rolled out to selected businesses, with a broader rollout already scheduled for next year. 

Sources 

https://bit.ly/3jm3YVV