{"id":335260,"date":"2017-11-16T15:49:36","date_gmt":"2017-11-16T14:49:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/newswire\/twitter-strips-tommy-robinson-other-far-right-users-of-coveted-blue-tick-rt-uk-news\/"},"modified":"2017-11-16T15:49:36","modified_gmt":"2017-11-16T14:49:36","slug":"twitter-strips-tommy-robinson-other-far-right-users-of-coveted-blue-tick-rt-uk-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/newswire\/twitter-strips-tommy-robinson-other-far-right-users-of-coveted-blue-tick-rt-uk-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Twitter strips Tommy Robinson & other far-right users of coveted blue tick \u2014 RT UK News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Prominent members of the far right including former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson have been stripped of their blue-tick verification badge on Twitter. Robinson tweeted the \u201cquisling elite censor us because they know they can\u2019t refute us.\u201d <\/p>\n

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Twitter announced new guidelines for blue ticks, saying users can lose their status if they \u201cpromote hate,\u201d<\/em> harass or threaten people based on \u201crace, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability [or] disease.\u201d<\/em> The rules apply to behavior \u201con and off\u201d<\/em> Twitter, meaning users can lose their verification even if they do not violate its rules directly.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday night, Twitter withdrew the verification of some accounts, which have been linked to white supremacy and the far right. They included Robinson, American white-supremacist Richard Spencer, and Jason Kessler, who organized a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville.<\/p>\n

Robinson responded to being de-verified by saying \u201cthe truth is now hate speech,\u201d<\/em> and mocked that being de-verified has \u201ctriggered\u201d<\/em> him. He then tweeted that he was being censored: \u201cQuisling elite censor us because they know they can\u2019t refute us. When we published #MohammedsKoran [Robinson\u2019s book Mohammed’s Koran: Why Muslims Kill For Islam] we expected the censorship to increase cos they can\u2019t refute the 20th century experts on Islam.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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The truth is now hate speech pic.twitter.com\/LHHFgdD05P<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) November 15, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Quisling elite censor us because they know they can’t refute us. When we published #MohammedsKoran<\/a> we expected the censorship to increase cos they can’t refute the 20th century experts on Islam, whose works expose The Grand Lie: Islam is Peace<\/p>\n

\u2014 Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) November 16, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

He went on to claim that multiple steps had been taken to keep his book hidden. \u201cMuslims created a fake version, Amazon de-listed it as a Koran, Google won\u2019t take Ads, Police State stopped launch events in Manchester & Newcastle. What next: public burning? It\u2019s book, refute it,\u201d<\/em> he tweeted.<\/p>\n

Some of those who had their verified badge removed said the new policy was being applied inconsistently, highlighting other accounts of disgraced celebrities who had not lost the icon.<\/p>\n

Other Twitter users criticized the change in policy, saying it is placing moral judgment in the hands of a few employees of the service.<\/p>\n

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Twitter: We\u2019ve made the process of verification too confusing.<\/p>\n

Also Twitter: Okay now we\u2019re going to start unverifying people who express opinions we find objectionable.<\/p>\n

\u2014 David Chen (@davechensky) November 16, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Whoever advised Twitter to turn verification into an approbation of views rather than a confirmation of identity did not think this through. Now Twitter can be held accountable for every controversial thing said by a blue checkmark.<\/p>\n

\u2014 (((Yair Rosenberg))) (@Yair_Rosenberg) November 16, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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“In short: if users don’t prescribe to certain Twitter guidelines, **even on public sites other than Twitter**, they can kiss their blue check marks goodbye.”https:\/\/t.co\/qTbCBnb1a8<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) November 16, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Others celebrated the removal of verification for far-right users.<\/p>\n

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Twitter pulling the verification badges of Nazis is possibly the best thing Twitter has ever done for its users👏👏👏<\/p>\n

\u2014 Heidi N Moore (@moorehn) November 16, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Hi @TwitterSupport<\/a>, good work on the Neo-Nazi purge so far.<\/p>\n

Now to remove the blue tick of Far-Right agitator @PrisonPlanet<\/a> please.<\/p>\n

His TL is absolute filth.<\/p>\n

\u2014 R Evans (@Mativenko80) November 16, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Twitter should give little pointy white hats and masks to all the far-right accounts whining about losing their blue tick. 😏<\/p>\n

\u2014 Dant\u00e9 Banks (@Dante_Banks) November 16, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Twitter has officially verified the accounts of politicians, celebrities and other public figures since 2009. In July 2016, it opened up the scheme to the wider public and allowed anybody to apply for a verified badge. The mark was meant to confirm authenticity, but it has since been seen as a badge of honor.<\/p>\n

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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<\/p>\n

\u2014 Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) November 9, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Last week, Twitter came under fire for verifying Kessler\u2019s account, and soon after halted its verified profile scheme. It said it had not intended the blue badge to be an endorsement of views shared.<\/p>\n

Twitter tweeted on Wednesday: \u201cWe are conducting an initial review of verified accounts and will remove verification from accounts whose behavior does not fall within these new guidelines. We will continue to review and take action as we work towards a new program we are proud of.\u201d<\/em> It admitted that the verification had \u201clong been perceived as an endorsement\u201d and said it \u201cshould have addressed this earlier.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n