As Twitchy reported, Twitter found itself in a bit of a dilemma recently over its verification policy. Ideally, the coveted blue check on Twitter does one thing only: it proves that the person, usually a celebrity, is who he says he is, as authenticated by Twitter.
However, the blue check eventually appeared as an endorsement, leading people like comedian and Twitchy regular Michael Ian Black to issue an ultimatum: either un-verify white nationalists like Jason Kessler, or lose him and his 2 million+ followers.
On Wednesday, Twitter announced its new guidelines, including some against so-called hate speech, and voila, the blue checks started disappearing. White supremacists like Kessler and Richard Spencer were among those who kept their accounts but are no longer “verified.”
To Spencer’s credit, he didn’t compare the loss of his blue check to the Holocaust as others did.
Verified no more! Is it not okay to be proudly White? ??♂️
— Richard ? Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) November 15, 2017
Dude, it was just a checkmark, but you be you.
Sure, although you make the rest of us ashamed. https://t.co/uaz2WPyLZR
— Anthony Bialy (@AnthonyBialy) November 16, 2017
It's fine to be white. Being a Nazi, tho… not so cool these days. https://t.co/W6wZYDVwNn
— Alheli Picazo (@a_picazo) November 15, 2017
If all you have to be proud of is the color of your skin, I'd say you made some bad life choices. https://t.co/FBxcPUVj9v
— Avi Woolf, Elitist? (@AviWoolf) November 16, 2017
When you lose your checkmark before you lose your virginity. https://t.co/Lm48FiZL50
— Frederick Douglass (@gettinnoticedmo) November 15, 2017
No you stupid mother fucking piece of trash, it's just not ok to be a Nazi goat fucker like your mom https://t.co/qmrfwKLO44
— Mujahed Kobbe (@Moj_kobe) November 15, 2017
Ouch.
You're still a verified racist asshole, though. https://t.co/vVfXBdIaN8
— Cher (@thecherness) November 16, 2017
Looks like @RichardBSpencer is back to wearing just his Hitler Youth pin. https://t.co/yzsurS8PkV
— Jacopo della Quercia (@Jacopo_della_Q) November 16, 2017
It's not ok to be an evil racist POS but don't worry. You'll always be verifiable as that. https://t.co/6PdeibGMcM
— Christina McKeen? (@ChristinaMcKeen) November 16, 2017
Don't worry, Richard. You don't need to be verified for everyone to know that you're an #AltWanker. https://t.co/GkNw6KL4Sf
— Conspirador Norteño (@conspirator0) November 16, 2017
It's irrational and stupid to take pride in something over which you never had any control. https://t.co/cv1qN3XP5J
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) November 16, 2017
You'll just have to fall back on being a famously-punched Nazi I guess. https://t.co/6MzblgzVkj
— Julius Goat ? (@JuliusGoat) November 16, 2017
You poor child! That must have been a real punch in the eye. https://t.co/ZpSnYCepEb
— Frederick Douglass (@DeadDouglass) November 16, 2017
Aw, poor little snowflake. https://t.co/XwW4Jz2FLU
— Jean-Luc Picard (@COPicard2017) November 16, 2017
Maybe twitter could replace his blue tick with a swastika or something. https://t.co/SJJQa7nWy2
— Mark Newton ?? (@NewtonMark) November 16, 2017
Be whatever the hell you want. Twitter's a private website and a little blue check mark by your name on said website isn't a first amendment right. Go cry into your bleached Wheaties on gab where someone might give a shit, allegedly "Richard Spencer".@RichardBSpencer https://t.co/wJvzoavDys
— Ignatius, Really. (@phlubup) November 16, 2017
I dunno man, I feel like if you were the real richard spencer you'd have a checkmark. https://t.co/H81eFXt5FL
— Azure, whomst thinks Nazis should be banned (@aguyuno) November 16, 2017
I'm seriously considering stop tweeting.
Yes, I know some might say "Don't let the SJWs win!" But the fact is, I have no confidence in the platform. De-verfiying seems like a first step towards banning.
— Richard ? Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) November 16, 2017
Twitter had the chance to become a true global public square, the preeminent free-speech platform of the digital age.
Instead, its leadership seems to want just another safe and boring place, for safe and boring opinions.
— Richard ? Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) November 16, 2017
It’s a checkmark, buddy.
Kessler, who organized the deadly protest in Charlottesville, was also stripped of his blue check, although we have no idea how that amounts to “censorship,” seeing as it’s a private service and he still has his account.
Also, be sure to bookmark my website JasonKessler.us so you can be sure to get updates no matter what our anti-white corporate overlords decide they think you're currently allowed to hear.
— Jason Kessler (@TheMadDimension) November 15, 2017
Dude, we still hear you … whining. Better to let people like Spencer and Kessler speak than clumsily “crack down” on speech like so many universities have done.
It will be interesting, though, to see where Twitter goes next, now that it’s put a “pause” on private verification. The system is a mess all around, and we’ll need some popcorn to get through it — just how far will the service go in “cleaning up” its blue-checked non-endorsements?
I hope this wasn't due to Twitter's new verification policy/"pause"… They keep claiming verification is only meant to confirm the identities of notable figures to avoid things like impersonation, but taking away blue checkmarks for wrongthink appears to be de facto policy. https://t.co/LOa2P2sk7u
— Ashley Rae (@Communism_Kills) November 15, 2017
Stay tuned.
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Related:
And everything is STUPID: Laura Loomer compares losing her blue check on Twitter to the Holocaust https://t.co/2y9dQnF8Or
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) November 16, 2017