【2021 Archives】

UPDATE(Thurs. Nov. 9021 Archives 2017, 12:00 p.m. ET): On Thursday afternoon, Twitter responded to Kessler's verification by announcing they would pause the current verification process and review its procedures.

Another white supremacist received the blue checkmark on Twitter indicating that this is an account that's verified and legit.

This time Twitter rubber-stamped the Charlottesville "Unite the Right" rally organizer Jason Kessler. He last made headlines for getting punched in the face during an attempted press conference about the racist rally that resulted in the death of counter-protester Heather Heyer.

Back in October, he was unverified, as the Internet Archives show. Now his Twitter page boasts the checkmark. The Daily Beastreports he received the badge of authenticity Tuesday.

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Twitter referred Mashable to its verification info page when asked about the known white nationalist's verified account. The page explains how the badge is given: "An account may be verified if it is determined to be an account of public interest."

Verifying white supremacists, racists, and neo-Nazis doesn't seem to be in the public interest. It seems to go against Twitter's own efforts to quell trolls and abuse on the platform. Twitter wants to be a safe space, but then it lets hate-filled accounts get a seal of approval.

It's ironic when sites like GoFundMe are quick to shut down any glimmer of hate speech or racism, but Twitter becomes a breeding ground for racist accounts.

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Kessler isn't the only racist account that's verified. And this is not a new issue. For months, Twitter's been home to a growing list of known neo-Nazis, alt-right provocateurs, and white nationalists with an official tick next to their names: James Allsup, Richard Spencer, and "Baked Alaska."

So much for those safe space goals.