Twitter halts user verifications after Jason Kessler controversy

Jason Kessler, the organizer of the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, got a Twitter verification earlier this week. Now, Twitter announced it's pausing verifications until confusion about the status is resolved. "Verification was meant to authenticate identity & voice but it is interpreted as an endorsement or an indicator of importance," the company said.

Why it matters: Social media verification is a big deal. While verification was meant to prevent copycats, the blue checkmark has grown to be seen as a sign of status and approval from the social network.