After pausing new account verifications last week, Twitter said on Wednesday that it will begin to review verified accounts and revoke the status from those whose conduct on the services doesn't follow the company's guidelines.
Why it matters: Twitter has been in hot water recently for doling out the coveted "verified" status to controversial figures like Jason Kessler, who organized the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va. Though it originally began as a way to protect celebrities from impersonators, Twitter's verified status has been interpreted to signal endorsement by the company.
Big question: Will Twitter have separate and stricter rules for verified users? The company says it's working on a new verified account program and has added a section on its website that outlines guidelines largely similar to its Twitter Rules for all users.
One difference: The rules do mention that "[s]upporting organizations or individuals that promote the above," in reference to promoting hate or violence against certain groups of folks is also an offense that can lead to losing verified status. This is likely why Kessler and others like well-known white nationalist Richard Spencer have lost their verification marks—an attempt by Twitter to make clear it's not endorsing their views.
