Taliban leaders were early subscribers to Twitter Blue, the subscription service launched by new CEO Elon Musk.

Ryan Robertson Anchor, Investigative Reporter

Taliban leaders subscribed to Twitter Blue

Jan 18, 2023

Ryan Robertson Anchor, Investigative Reporter

By Ryan Robertson (Anchor, Investigative Reporter)

Twitter is now offering a new annual plan to pay for its blue checkmark. The tool was originally used to identify verified accounts of important public figures.

Twitter Blue is Elon Musk’s product that charges users for the checkmark. It ruffled some feathers when he first proposed it, but one group welcomed the chance to pay for the checkmark almost immediately: the Taliban.

Muhammad Jalal, who was at one time a Taliban official, offered up praise to Musk on Monday. Jalal tweeted Musk was “making Twitter great again.”

Despite the fact the U.S. considers the Taliban a terrorist organization, and the longest war in U.S. history was against the same group, leaders and low-level members of the Taliban have always loved using the U.S.-based social media platform. The Taliban uses the 21^st century tool to spread its message while advocating for the return of ancient and barbaric social customs, like murdering “non-believers.”

Until recently, at least two Taliban officials had Twitter’s blue checkmark next to their names: Hedayatullah Hedayat, the head of the Taliban’s Department for Access to Information, and Abdul Haq Hammad from the Afghan Ministry of Information and Culture. Twitter has since removed the marks from each account after mounting public criticism.

Twitter Blue’s base price is $8 per month. Apple users pay $11. Under a new pay scale offered by Musk, customers get a discount if they pay by the year. The price of an annual Twitter Blue subscription is $84. According to Twitter, subscribers to Twitter Blue get priority ranking in search, mentions and replies to help fight spam and bots.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Tags: Elon Musk, Taliban, Twitter, Twitter Blue

TWITTER IS NOW OFFERING A NEW ANNUAL PLAN TO PAY FOR ITS BLUE CHECKMARK, A TOOL ONCE USED TO IDENTIFY VERIFIED ACCOUNTS OF IMPORTANT PUBLIC FIGURES.

TWITTER BLUE IS ELON MUSK’S CONTROVERSIAL PLAN TO CHARGE FOR THE CHECKMARK. IT RUFFLED SOME FEATHERS WHEN HE FIRST PROPOSED IT, BUT THERE IS ONE GROUP THAT WELCOMED THE CHANCE TO PAY FOR THE CHECK MARK ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. THE TALIBAN.

DESPITE THE FACT THE U.S. CONSIDERS THE TALIBAN A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, AND THE LONGEST WAR IN U.S. HISTORY WAS AGAINST THED SAME GROUP, LEADERS AND LOW-LEVEL MEMBERS OF THE TALIBAN HAVE ALWAYS LOVED USING THE U.S. BASED SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM. THE TALIBAN USES THE 21^ST CENTURY TOOL TO SPREAD ITS MESSAGE WHILE ADVOCATING FOR THE RETURN OF ANCIENT AND BARBARIC SOCIAL CUSTOMS, LIKE BEHEADING “NON-BELIEVERS.”

UNTIL RECENTLY, AT LEAST TWO TALIBAN OFFICIALS HAD TWITTER’S BLUE CHECKMARK NEXT TO THEIR NAMES. HEDAYATULLAH HEDAYAT, THE HEAD OF THE TALIBAN’S DEPARTMENT FOR ACCESS TO INFORMATION, AND ABDUL HAQ HAMMAD FROM THE AFGHAN MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE. TWITTER HAS SINCE REMOVED THE MARKS FROM EACH ACCOUNT AFTER MOUNTING PUBLIC CRITICISM.

TWITTER BLUE’S BASE PRICE IS 8 BUCKS A MONTH. APPLE USERS PAY 11. A NEW DEAL FROM MUSK NOW GIVES CUSTOMERS A DISCOUNT IF THEY PAY BY THE YEAR. ACCORDING TO TWITTER, SUBSCRIBERS TO TWITTER BLUE GET PRIORITY RANKING IN SEARCH, MENTIONS AND REPLIES TO HELP FIGHT SPAM AND BOTS.

FOR MORE STORIES ABOUT TWITTER, TWITTER BLUE OR THE TALIBAN’S RULE IN AFGHANISTAN, GO TO STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM, WHERE WE DELIVER UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS.