New Delhi, May 20 (IANS): Twitter on Thursday announced to relaunch its new verification application process, beginning with six categories, and review public applications globally to help users earn the blue badge on the micro-blogging platform.

The six categories are -- government; companies, brands and organisations; news organisations and journalists; entertainment; sports and gaming; and activists, organisers and other influential individuals.

Twitter said that it will introduce more categories later this year, such as those for scientists, academics and religious leaders.

Over the next few weeks, everyone on Twitter will start to see the new verification application directly in the Account Settings tab.

"We're gradually rolling it out to everyone to ensure that we can review applications in a timely manner," the company said in a blog post.

Once the application is submitted, the applicants can expect an emailed response within a few days, but this could take up to a few weeks depending on how many open applications are in the queue.

"If your application is approved, you'll see the blue badge automatically on your profile. If you think we made a mistake, reapply 30 days after receiving our decision on your application," Twitter said.

Over the past several months, Twitter worked to bring clarity to the verification eligibility criteria and launched a new policy shaped by public feedback.

It also started enforcing that policy by automatically removing the verified badge from accounts that no longer meet the updated criteria for verification, such as those that are inactive or incomplete.

Twitter said it has also introduced new guidelines for verified accounts on the platform to encourage healthy conversations.

Verified accounts that repeatedly violate the Twitter Rules are subject to have the blue badge removed.

In addition to the category-specific eligibility criteria outlined in our verification policy, your account must be complete, meaning you have a profile name, a profile image and either a confirmed email address or phone number, Twitter said.

"Your account must also be active within the last six months and have a record of adherence to the Twitter Rules," the company added.

Twitter is also doing research on automated accounts and plan to introduce a way to denote this account type in the next few months, with memorialised accounts to follow.