Why is it that I see Twitter verifying white supremacists that constantly tweet messages of hatred and bigotry while I see many notable scientists and researchers who work tirelessly to make the world a better place and they aren't verified?
The Twitter verification system ...
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... is flawed in its design. It sets up situations where "appeals to authority" can easily be constructed when people see a blue check mark next to someone's name and assume they must hold some type of credentials when the initial intent of verification was simply "this person ..
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..is who they say they are." -- If that's the intent of verification, then there should be a process where anyone can become verified.
It's no longer an open system -- it's flawed and sets up the wrong type of dynamic that can cause a lot of issues.
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They still verify accounts. They just stopped allowing people to submit a proposal to get verified (AFAIK).
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My personal theory is that it's a kind of performative libertarianism. Give white supremacy privileges to show how open minded you are. That mentality is then unexamined, so it is only extended to the white supremacists, giving them increased power.