Twitter Inc. is halting its system for verifying users' identity, saying the process has become "broken" and in need of repair.
A few years back, Twitter began placing a blue check-mark next to accounts whose users' identities had been verified — a way to help distinguish legitimate accounts from bogus ones. The social media company drew criticism for the process this week after it conferred a blue check mark on the account of Jason Kessler, who is credited with orchestrating the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August.
"Verification was meant to authenticate identity & voice but it is interpreted as an endorsement or an indicator of importance," Twitter's user support division wrote in a tweet. "We recognize that we have created this confusion and need to resolve it."