The original idea was sort of fine. Or at least an honest attempt at fixing an unfixable problem.

For most Twitter users being impersonated isn't really a problem, but for well-known people and organizations it's a major issue. Having a President of the United States twitter account, that twitter has validated as being the real one is a good thing. It means that I can trust that whatever is posted is actually from the POTUS. Same for the Coca-Cola, PETA, The international Commission of the Red Cross and so forth.

It gets ugly when it becomes a sign of having become noteworthy to have it. And when you move a bit down the wellknown scale. There might be more than one who can claim the checkmark for their name. There is apparently an actor called Chris Evans, as well as a radio host. Who gets the mark as being the real Chris Evans?