With Twitter Paid Verification Introduced, Taliban Also Use It as a Promotion Tool

Taleban Officials Obtain 'Blue Check' via Paid Service
"Twitter Blue Supported by Taleban" Removed After Criticism

Officials from the Taliban regime in Afghanistan purchased Twitter paid accounts but had their 'blue check' removed after receiving criticism from users.

On the 17th (local time), according to the UK Guardian, BBC, and others, at least two Taliban officials and four prominent figures had 'blue check' (verified badge) displayed on their Twitter accounts. Twitter used to grant 'blue checks' selectively to users considered "active, notable, and genuine public interest accounts," such as celebrities, politicians, and journalists.

However, after Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, acquired Twitter last year, he launched a paid verification service called 'Twitter Blue.' As a result, anyone can now obtain this badge by paying a fee. Companies receive a gold badge, government agencies a gray badge, and individuals a blue badge.

Taliban officials are reported to have purchased 'Twitter Blue' accounts launched by Elon Musk.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

It is presumed that Taliban officials purchased the 'blue check' for external propaganda purposes. The account of Hedayatullah Hedayat, the Taliban's Minister of Information and Culture, regularly posts about government activities and has 187,000 followers. Additionally, Abdul Haq Hamad, who oversees media at the Afghan Ministry of Information and Culture, has 170,000 followers.

According to the BBC, Muhammad Jalal, known as a Taliban official, praised Musk's verification measures, saying they "made Twitter great again." Musk is also reported to have replied directly to Jalal's tweet.

However, the Taliban officials' 'blue check' sparked outrage among users opposing the Taliban's long-standing human rights abuses and ties to violent terrorist organizations. One Twitter user criticized, "Twitter Blue: endorsed by the Taliban."

Following complaints from Twitter users, the 'blue check' is no longer visible on the accounts of Hedayat and Hamad. However, it has not been confirmed whether the Taliban or Twitter directly removed the verification. Twitter and Musk have not publicly responded to this issue.

Meanwhile, the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021, 20 years after being first overthrown by the US-led military coalition, and took over the previous government's Twitter accounts.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.