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Supporters of Filtering on Twitter Operate with Paid Blue Checkmarks
The Shargh Newspaper Wrote About the Blue Checkmarks of Representatives and Revolutionary Activists on Social Media
The wave of filtering in Iran began during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s administration simultaneously with the growth of social networks and continues to this day. This trend has intensified during Ebrahim Raisi’s administration.
Members of the Eleventh Parliament, if not supporters of further internet restrictions in Iran, are also not considered advocates of free internet. Although there are a few among them who complain about internet restrictions, what is noticeable these days is the use of the premium version of Telegram by some representatives. Representatives like Farhad Bashiri, Fatemeh Maqsoudi, Hajar Chenarani, and Ehsan Arkani, whose names have often been associated with filtering, are among those who are busy posting stories using the premium version of Telegram. Some other representatives have tried to discreetly use the features of the paid version of this messenger by removing the premium emoji next to their name.
It’s not just the members of parliament who use the premium version of Telegram. News agencies like the Islamic Republic News Agency, which supported internet restrictions during Raisi’s term, also use the premium version of Telegram in their news channel. Channels like Fars News Agency and Parliament News also benefit from Telegram Premium.
The dollar cost of internet restriction supporters in Iran and filtering advocates for utilizing the premium versions of social networks and messengers is not limited to Telegram. With Twitter’s policy changes and the sale of blue checkmarks, many so-called revolutionary users and government supporters have become active with blue checkmarks. Today, it’s rare to find a revolutionary Twitter user without a blue checkmark next to their name. Obtaining all these checkmarks requires payment to Twitter. Iranian government officials also continue to use Twitter, which is filtered for the general public.