Richard Spencer, white supremacists lose Twitter verification

A week after the ruckus over blue checks on Twitter, the company has updated its policy on verifications and revoked verifications of some white supremacists. Richard Spencer, Jason Kessler and others have lost the blue check marks next to their names.

“We are conducting an initial review of verified accounts and will remove verification from accounts whose behavior does not fall within these new guidelines,” the company said.

Among the things that could get someone’s verification revoked, according to Twitter’s updated policy: “Promoting hate and/or violence against, or directly attacking or threatening other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or disease.” The company noted that this applies to behavior on and off Twitter.

Such activity is also against the company’s broader rules, and could result in the suspension of a Twitter account.

Spencer leads the National Policy Institute, which soon after the election of President Donald Trump hosted a Washington convention where attendees gave Nazi salutes. He has been suspended — and reinstated — by Twitter. Now he’s check mark-less.

Jason Kessler has written for the Daily Caller and organized the Charlottesville white supremacist rally that turned deadly over the summer. His Twitter verification, which came just last week, caused an uproar and prompted the social network to suspend verifications for the time being.

Twitter admits its granting of blue check marks — supposedly a sign that an account is of public interest — has been problematic: “Verification has long been perceived as an endorsement. We gave verified accounts visual prominence on the service which deepened this perception. We should have addressed this earlier but did not prioritize the work as we should have,” the company said on its Twitter Support account.