Twitter account verifications sparked outrage amongst the users when the Taliban, the hardline Islamist rulers in Afghanistan, bought them a few days ago. Although the blue check marks have been removed from the accounts now, it is not clear whether Twitter or the users themselves removed the verifications.
Back in the day, the blue verified check marks were given to accounts that were considered active, notable, and authentic accounts of public interest. But since Elon Musk acquired the platform last year, he has allowed users to buy them from the Twitter Blue service for a fee.
Two officials of the Taliban government in Afghanistan, Hedayatullah Hedayat, and Abdul Haq Hammad had opted for the option and bought blue check marks for their Twitter accounts. The two accounts have 187,000 and 170,000 followers each. The accounts regularly publish information about Taliban administration matters.
The check marks sparked outrage among many users who oppose the Taliban’s long record of human rights violations and its ties with violent terrorist organizations.