Twitter cracks down, unverified certain users following controversies
Twitter's blue check mark of verification is known as an icon around the world for differentiating regular users with more important citizens, including celebrities and government officials.
However, specifically during the Political fallout between 2016's election campaign in the U.S. and up to now, controversial figures verified by the social media platform rose further controversy, as people slammed the company for verifying figures representing groups like white supremacists, Nazi propaganda pages and fake news agencies.
The fallout with Twitter began after a white supremacist rally to keep a statue of a confederate militant in Charlottesville, Virginia turned deadly as a Nazi sympathizer slammed his car into a crowd of counter protesters; killing 1 and injuring 24. Since then, any time anyone even slightly shows support for supremacists; they go under heat.
So when it came to be that Twitter had verified a few white supremacist group leaders, users of the app were extremely angered. A political analyst of a major news organization reached out to the platform saying they were going to drive away all of the law-abiding users if they continue to keep supporting the supremacists.
Twitter responded by saying they were looking into ways to prevent further situations like this, starting with a suspension of their verification program. All submissions for accounts to be verified would be cancelled, or looked at once the issue was resolved.
Not too long after that, many controversial users of the social media giant platform began losing their verified status, losing their check mark, and losing all of the pros of being verified on the Twitter website. Although they were outraged, most users on their accounts expressed support for Twitter's decision to filter their verified users.
Now, Twitter is saying they are being far more strict on their verification processes. Though it hadn't specified which trajectory they plan to go on, it's no doubt they are taking more technological advances to make sure only celebrities, news companies, government officials or high-class business officials are being verified for legitimate reasons.
