Twitter sells "ticks" to terrorists and Russian state media

According to the Tech Transparency Project, Twitter accepted payments from accounts including leaders of Hezbollah, the Houthis and state media in Iran and Russia.

Subscriptions, which cost $8 a month, offer users a blue checkmark that was previously only available to verified users, such as celebrities, and better promotion through the social network’s algorithm.

As noted in the report, despite the fact that Twitter’s official terms of service prohibit people and organizations on the US sanctions list from making payments on the platform, 28 accounts of sanctioned individuals with a blue "check" were found.

Among these accounts was Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. He received the "tick" back in November last year. On social media, he often posts news releases and memes ridiculing the United States and Israel.

Also among the verified accounts are the Houthis, who recently began attacking American and other ships in the Red Sea. They began paying Twitter this month, just weeks after the United States said it would designate the militants as a terrorist group.

"We were surprised to discover that X provides premium services to a wide range of groups that have been sanctioned by the US for terrorism and other activities harmful to national security. This is another sign that X has lost control of its platform," it said. Katie Paul, director of the Tech Transparency Project.

Twitter itself has already responded to such information. They emphasized that they had studied the report and, if necessary, would take action.