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Twitter verified accounts (blue checkmarks) and hypocrisy

Anybody can create a Twitter account. However, Twitter has a "verified account" system which is used primarily to assure visitors of the legitimacy of an account. For example, if an account appears to be of a famous person, like a famous actor or singer, or from a famous or prominent institution like a company or a brand, the "verified account" blue checkmark signifies that the account is actually of the real person or institution, not just some faker.

Individual people who are not celebrities can also get their account verified, ie. a blue checkmark, but the requirements for this are strict and extensive. Among other things, they must have used Twitter actively for at least six months prior to applying, must have a verified email and phone number, they must have complied with the rules of the site, they do not post content that harasses, shame or insults any individual group, have a notable number of followers, and some other characteristic that makes them in some way notable (such as having a Wikipedia page with references, being mentioned by news organizations, or the like).

Getting a blue checkmark on Twitter is certainly not easy. Random trolls can't get it. Only people who have been verified as being who they say they are, and are prominent in some manner with a significant audience, and who have actively used Twitter for at least six months, can apply for the mark (and even then may be denied, if Twitter deems them somehow suspicious).

So, what's the "hypocrisy" I'm referring to in the title of this post?

The fact that the requirements I linked to above have quite extensive and strict requirements of non-harassing non-discriminatory content. The user must not post content that "harasses, shames, or insults any individual or group—especially on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, medical/genetic condition, status as a veteran, status as a refugee, or status as an immigrant—or content that promotes the supremacy or interests of members of any group in a manner likely to be perceived as demeaning on the basis of these categories".

What's hypocritical about this? The fact that there are literally hundreds and hundreds of blue-checkmarked accounts on Twitter regularly posting extremely hateful and disparaging things about white people. And Twitter does nothing to them.

Rather obviously the problem here is not that it's hatred against white people. It would be equally problematic regardless of which group of people the hatred is aimed that, be a racial group (any racial group), or any other such characteristic. Racist hatred is racist hatred regardless of who it's aimed at.

And we are not talking just about some mild insults or derision, like them saying "white people are stupid", or accusing white people of "cultural appropriation", or even that white people should have less rights than other people. No, we are talking about things like direct and unambiguous incitement to violence and murder. Not as a hyperbole, not even as an indirect insinuation (like in the form of "wouldn't it be a pity if something were to happen to him?") but completely direct incitement and instructions for other people on what to do with white people on the streets when they encounter them. Direct incitement to kill white people, not just in general and as a hyperbole, but as concrete acts for people to do in real life. Direct incitement to abstain from helping or calling for help if they see white people being assaulted or murdered on the street. Directly and unambiguously stating that a literal genocide of all white people would be good.

This, of course, in addition to the literally thousands and thousands of "I fucking hate white people", and "all white people are racist, I hate white people" tweets. And not just "white Americans" or the like. All white people.

If you google it, you'll easily find tons and tons of examples. People have made screenshot collections.

And, once again, these tweets are from verified Twitter accounts, not just some random trolls who created a Twitter account that same day. These are people who are known, have a following, are notorious in some manner, have been active on Twitter for a long time, and have gone through the strict process of verification in Twitter to get the checkmark.

A verification process that specifically requires no discriminatory hateful tweets targeting individuals or groups of people because of eg. their race.

And what does Twitter do to these people? Nothing. That's what.

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