Twitter has stepped up its efforts to remove official verification of accounts held by white nationalists and far-right activists such as Richard Spencer and noted Shakespeare-in-the-Park crasher Laura Loomer, TheWrap has learned.
The purge follows the social media platform’s decision on Wednesday to remove the blue check mark on the account of white nationalist Jason Kessler, the organizer of last summer’s deadly rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Kessler’s official verification last week ignited a firestorm of criticism and led Twitter to unveil a sweeping update to its verification process with new guidelines for how verified users could be stripped of the coveted blue check.
“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. Supporting organizations or individuals that promote the above,” was one of several new points enumerated by the company.
Twitter also announced that it would begin removing verification from accounts that fell outside the bounds of the new rules.
5 / We are conducting an initial review of verified accounts and will remove verification from accounts whose behavior does not fall within these new guidelines. We will continue to review and take action as we work towards a new program we are proud of.
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) November 15, 2017
Of course, what constitutes “promoting hate and/or violence” is left to Twitter’s discretion.
While the social media platform moved swiftly to remove verification from far-right transgressors, the company has not taken any apparent steps to unverify the accounts of activists on the political left.
As of Thursday morning, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan still had a verified account despite longtime accusations of anti-Semitic, anti-white and homophobic remarks.
Last month, he tweeted that it is time for “black people … to separate and build a nation of our own.”
Black people: We should be more convinced that it is time for us to separate and build a nation of our own.
— THE HONORABLE MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN (@LouisFarrakhan) October 13, 2017
Also maintaining blue-check status: Palestinian activist Linda Sarsour, who once tweeted that female genital mutilation victim Ayaan Hirsi Ali and another critic didn’t deserve to be women and that Sars0ur wished she could “take their vaginas away.”
Not to mention THESE fine people as well pic.twitter.com/XQ8Q8fHY73
— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) November 16, 2017
A Twitter spokesperson declined to comment on whether any particular user violated Twitter’s new guidelines and instead directed TheWrap to a tweet saying the company was continuing to review verified accounts.
“We are conducting an initial review of verified accounts and will remove verification from accounts whose behavior does not fall within these new guidelines,” it reads. “We will continue to review and take action as we work towards a new program we are proud of.”
5 / We are conducting an initial review of verified accounts and will remove verification from accounts whose behavior does not fall within these new guidelines. We will continue to review and take action as we work towards a new program we are proud of.
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) November 15, 2017
The company has long faced accusations of politicizing the verification process, bestowing the blue check on favored accounts and withholding it from others — most famously WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange.
In addition to Assange, the company has declined to verify Alabama GOP senate candidate Roy Moore — but did grant the check to his Democratic opponent, Doug Jones.