Twitter is overhauling the way it gives out blue verified badges, and on Wednesday removed them from accounts belonging to at least two prominent white nationalists.
Twitter announced the changes after facing a backlash for giving a verified badge to Jason Kessler, the organizer of the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va. this summer.
4 / We're working on a new authentication and verification program. In the meantime, we are not accepting any public submissions for verification and have introduced new guidelines for the program. https://t.co/j6P0HGXIVq — Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) November 15, 2017
"We're working on a new authentication and verification program," Twitter's Support account tweeted. New guidelines for that program say Twitter will remove a verified badge if an account is found promoting hate or inciting harassment against others.
"We are conducting an initial review of verified accounts and will remove verification from accounts whose behavior does not fall within these new guidelines," Twitter added.
Following the change, Kessler posted on Twitter that the company had sent him a message, alerting him that his verified badge would be permanently removed.
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
Others including white nationalist Richard Spencer and alt-right activist Laura Loomer also tweeted that their verified badges had been removed.
Twitter said many people viewed the verified badge as a sign that the company was endorsing the account. "This perception became worse when we opened up verification for public submissions and verified people who we in no way endorse," it added.
The changes come as Twitter has been trying to stop abuse over the platform. As part of that effort, Twitter is introducing new rules that intend to crack down on hate symbols circulating on the service.