San Francisco, California - After sharing with the press that many users had complained about "unfair" verification practices, Twitter announced some big changes in a application process for the coveted blue badge.

In a press release on the company blog on Thursday, Twitter announced it would be accepting open applications for account verification badges.

Twitter introduced the feature in 2009. The blue badge proves an account's validity and it shows that its owner has garnered enough attention through their activities to be essentially considered both "trustworthy" and "worthy of notice".

To head off claims of unfairness in the selection process, Twitter published the basic requirements that need to be met before consideration.

The company will only consider applications from government, companies, brands and other organizations, media sources and journalists, names in sports and gaming, as well as "activists, organizers, and other influential individuals".

Twitter also shared that it had hired more help to ensure each application would be reviewed by human eyes. The application would take between one and four weeks for review, and an additional 30 days wait time for re-submission if the application is denied.

According to Axios, Twitter said they will still be verifying some bot accounts because there are automated accounts worth trusting.