Twitter rejects blue check mark verification for former Viking, Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page

A spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a seat on Minnesota's highest court and a shiny medal symbolizing the nation's highest civilian honor.

Apparently Alan Page needs to work a little bit harder to achieve the "notability" that Twitter requires before it bestows one of its coveted blue check marks signaling verification of authenticity.

Page said Thursday that he was taken aback after learning that Twitter rejected his application for the lofty status.

"This account will not be verified at this time because the evidence provided did not meet our criteria for notability," said the e-mail sent Wednesday.

Page is a Minnesota Vikings legend and retired state Supreme Court justice who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018 from President Donald Trump in a White House ceremony.

"As a result," the message continued, "we could not reliably verify that the account associated with the request is a notable person, organization, or brand."

Page shared the rejection letter with his 12,300 or so followers and tweeted, "Not notable! Hmmm.!"

There was no response from Twitter yet to the 76-year-old Page other than the e-mail. Twitter spokeswoman Layal Brown told the Star Tribune that "we can't comment on individual verification decisions." Brown then suggested reading Twitter's verification policy, which defies the company's founding philosophy of shorter is better.

After anchoring a fear-inspiring defense for the Vikings in the 1960s and '70s, Page served on Minnesota's highest court from 1993 to 2015. In addition, he and his wife, Diane, founded the Page Education Foundation, which for 30 years has provided scholarships to 7,000 or so Minnesota students of color. A selection from the Pages' vast private collection of artwork and artifacts speaking to Black America's centuries-long struggle for freedom was put on display at the Minneapolis Central Library.

Page, whose credentials also include being a children's book author and the namesake of a Minneapolis public school, said his daughter and son-in-law urged him to apply for the label, though he admitted being unaware that it brings the potential for generating a wider audience in the Twittersphere.

"My first thought was, 'Why did I do this in the first place?' " he said.

Page called the snubbing "fairly hilarious to me on one level. There is nothing like being kept humble."

Will he take another shot at Twitter verification?

"Once is more than enough," said Page, and in a nod to millions of others who have also felt the Twitter brushoff, "At least I know I'm in good company."

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482