The Taliban Are Buying $8 “Verification” On Twitter

The BBC reports:

The Taliban have started using Twitter’s paid-for verification feature, meaning some now have blue ticks on their accounts. Previously, the blue tick indicated “active, notable, and authentic accounts of public interest” verified by Twitter, and could not be purchased.

But now, users can buy them through the new Twitter Blue service. At least two Taliban officials and four prominent supporters in Afghanistan are currently using the checkmarks.

Muhammad Jalal, who previously identified as a Taliban official, praised the new owner of Twitter on Monday, declaring that Elon Musk was “making Twitter great again”. The presence of the hard-line Islamists on Twitter has been a topic of controversy for some time.

Read the full article.

The Taliban have started using Twitter’s paid-for verification feature, meaning at least two Taliban officials and four prominent supporters now have blue ticks on their accounts.

By @AbdirahimS https://t.co/MI3BpznuDh

— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) January 16, 2023