Twitter has removed blue tick verifications from Richard Spencer, Laura Loomer, Tommy Robinson, Jason Kessler and white supremacists.
In a tweet, the company wrote,“we are conducting an initial review of verified accounts and will remove verification from accounts whose behavior does not fall within these new guidelines.”
Clarifying what their blue tick verification means, the company also tweeted, “verification was meant to authenticate identity & voice but it is interpreted as an endorsement or an indicator of importance.”
“We recognize that we have created this confusion and need to resolve it. We have paused all general verifications while we work and will report back soon.”
5 / We are conducting an initial review of verified accounts and will remove verification from accounts whose behavior does not fall within these new guidelines. We will continue to review and take action as we work towards a new program we are proud of.
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) November 15, 2017
Verification was meant to authenticate identity & voice but it is interpreted as an endorsement or an indicator of importance. We recognize that we have created this confusion and need to resolve it. We have paused all general verifications while we work and will report back soon
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) November 9, 2017
Last week, Twitter was criticised for granting Jason Kessler a blue tick. Kessler was the organiser of the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville.
The Guardian reports that verification revocation stems from accounts that are “promoting hate and/or violence” and “inciting or engaging in harassment of others”.
De-verified accounts include Kessler, white nationalist Richard Spencer, the far-right activist Laura Loomer, English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson, and others.
In response, Spencer tweeted, “Verified no more! Is it not okay to be proudly White?”
“Twitter has changed their verification policy just to be able to censor me,” Kessler also wrote tweeted.
Loomer expressed frustration at the company’s decision too, “Twitter is quick to call me and others Nazis, but they are literally trying to eradicate my presence. Just like Hitler.”
Robinson simply wrote, “the truth is now hate speech.”
Twitter has changed their verification policy just to be able to censor me. Several other accounts were unverified including Richard Spencer and James Allsup while Baked Alaska was permanently suspended altogether. pic.twitter.com/PO1QnJC2C6
— Jason Kessler (@TheMadDimension) November 15, 2017
And so it begins. Twitter is quick to call me and others Nazis, but they are literally trying to eradicate my presence. Just like Hitler. https://t.co/qaVWOMKyc0
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) November 16, 2017
Twitter just emailed me to tell me they are removing my “verified badge” because they claim my account “doesn’t comply with Twitter’s guidelines for verified accounts.”
Translation: I’m a conservative. pic.twitter.com/F1AsxWI6Fm
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) November 15, 2017
Verified no more! Is it not okay to be proudly White? ♂️
— Richard Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) November 15, 2017
The truth is now hate speech pic.twitter.com/LHHFgdD05P
— Tommy Robinson (@TRobinsonNewEra) November 15, 2017
