X removed the blue and gold checkmarks from Iranian media
After the Tech Transparency Project accused the social network X on Wednesday, February 14, of violating sanctions by charging for creating special or premium accounts for users under U.S. sanctions, the network removed the blue and gold checkmarks from Iranian media such as Press TV, IRNA, Tasnim, Al-Alam, and HispanTV on Thursday, February 15.
The Tech Transparency Project, in a report criticizing X’s management for providing paid services to accounts affiliated with the Islamic Republic, emphasized that the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned media such as Tasnim and Press TV last September.
Press TV confirmed this news, reporting the removal of blue and gold verifications from the accounts of its English, Arabic, and Spanish news networks, along with Al-Alam, HispanTV, Tasnim News Agency, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Mizan, and the official government website.
The accounts of Russia’s state television network NTV and the commercial bank Tinkoff in Moscow have also faced the removal of blue and gold checkmarks.