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Twitter, Facing Another Uproar, Pauses Its Verification Process Twitter, Facing Another Uproar, Pauses Its Verification Process
(35 minutes later)
SAN FRANCISCO — On Tuesday afternoon, Twitter added a small blue check mark to the account of Jason Kessler, a move known as verification that indicates a prominent person’s real account.SAN FRANCISCO — On Tuesday afternoon, Twitter added a small blue check mark to the account of Jason Kessler, a move known as verification that indicates a prominent person’s real account.
The action was quickly met with outrage. That’s because Mr. Kessler is a well-known white supremacist who has used Twitter to spread his message and organize rallies like Unite the Right’s march in Charlottesville, Va., where torch wielding protesters marched through the streets chanting racist rallying cries. The action was quickly met with outrage. That’s because Mr. Kessler is a well-known white supremacist who has used Twitter to spread his message and organize rallies like Unite the Right’s march in Charlottesville, Va., where torch-wielding protesters marched through the streets chanting racist rallying cries.
Across the Twitterverse, people including comedian Michael Ian Black came down on the company. Across the Twitterverse, people including the comedian Michael Ian Black came down on the company.
By Thursday morning, Twitter announced it would be halting its entire general verification program. It was yet another situation that the company has had to make amends on, just a week after the accidental deletion of President Trump’s Twitter account and testifying in Washington over how its service had been used by Russian agents last year to sow discord. By Thursday morning, Twitter announced it would be halting its entire general verification program. It was yet another situation that the company has had to make amends on, just a week after the accidental deletion of President Trump’s Twitter account and testimony in Washington on how Russian agents used its service last year to sow discord.
“The system is broken and needs to be reconsidered,” Twitter’s chief executive, Jack Dorsey, tweeted on Thursday. “And we failed by not doing anything about it. Working now to fix faster.”“The system is broken and needs to be reconsidered,” Twitter’s chief executive, Jack Dorsey, tweeted on Thursday. “And we failed by not doing anything about it. Working now to fix faster.”
When Twitter puts a verified check mark next to a white nationalist’s name, is the company endorsing that person? That was what Twitter was trying to figure out on Thursday.When Twitter puts a verified check mark next to a white nationalist’s name, is the company endorsing that person? That was what Twitter was trying to figure out on Thursday.
“Verification was meant to authenticate identity and voice but it is interpreted as an endorsement or importance,” the company said on Twitter. “We have created this confusion.”“Verification was meant to authenticate identity and voice but it is interpreted as an endorsement or importance,” the company said on Twitter. “We have created this confusion.”
Twitter originally began verifying accounts to give high-profile individuals — celebrities, politicians, journalists and others — a way to distinguish themselves from impersonators. The blue check mark has since become something of a badge of honor, signaling that someone had reached a certain level of importance.Twitter originally began verifying accounts to give high-profile individuals — celebrities, politicians, journalists and others — a way to distinguish themselves from impersonators. The blue check mark has since become something of a badge of honor, signaling that someone had reached a certain level of importance.
“It’s recognition. It’s a simple as that,” Richard Spencer, a white supremacist who was verified by Twitter in 2016, said in an interview. “The blue check mark is useful.”“It’s recognition. It’s a simple as that,” Richard Spencer, a white supremacist who was verified by Twitter in 2016, said in an interview. “The blue check mark is useful.”
The white nationalist movement has flourished on Twitter, but Mr. Spencer said the platform has been behaving erratically toward his community lately. The white nationalist movement has flourished on Twitter, but Mr. Spencer said the platform had been behaving erratically toward his community lately.
“It seems to be non-algorithmic now,” he said. “It seems like there’s one person who doesn’t like this tweet or that account one day, and it seems like a judgment. It’s incoherent.”“It seems to be non-algorithmic now,” he said. “It seems like there’s one person who doesn’t like this tweet or that account one day, and it seems like a judgment. It’s incoherent.”
Mr. Kessler’s account — with the handle @TheMadDimension — remains verified. Late Wednesday, he responded to the uproar with a tweet wondering if it was still all right to be white, and included a poll for people to answer. As of Thursday afternoon, he had gotten nearly 50,000 responses.Mr. Kessler’s account — with the handle @TheMadDimension — remains verified. Late Wednesday, he responded to the uproar with a tweet wondering if it was still all right to be white, and included a poll for people to answer. As of Thursday afternoon, he had gotten nearly 50,000 responses.