If you’ve been on the cusp of receiving Twitter’s coveted blue checkmark, you’re going to have to wait longer.
Twitter announced on Thursday it is pausing its verification process, one day after Jason Kessler, the organizer of the infamous “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, received a blue checkmark.
Events in Charlottesville resulted in the death of protester Heather Hayer — who Kessler called a “fat, disgusting communist” in the aftermath.
In a tweet outlining the decision, the social platform said, “verification was meant to authenticate identity & voice but it is interpreted as an endorsement or an indicator of importance.” Verifications have been “paused” until the company can resolve the “confusion.”
Verification was meant to authenticate identity & voice but it is interpreted as an endorsement or an indicator of importance. We recognize that we have created this confusion and need to resolve it. We have paused all general verifications while we work and will report back soon
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) November 9, 2017
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey followed up the message with a tweet of his own, saying the company should’ve “communicated faster.”
“Our agents have been following our verification policy correctly, but we realized some time ago the system is broken and needs to be reconsidered. And we failed by not doing anything about it,” tweeted Dorsey. “Working now to fix faster.”
After asking how the system currently works, a Twitter spokesperson pointed TheWrap to its page outlining verification details, where it says “a verified badge does not imply an endorsement by Twitter.” The spokesperson did not have details on expected changes to the policy.
The blue checkmark has been seen as a sign of authority on the platform and comes with perks “regular” accounts do not enjoy. Access to analytics, notification adjustments, and preferential placement in search results come with verification. The badge lets users know you are indeed looking at the real Kim Kardashian’s account, for example, rather than the 50,000 bootleg versions.