Twitter has restored the verification badges on several high-profile celebrity accounts, including those of Indian actors Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, just days after the platform culled blue checkmarks for non-paying users.
It is unclear whether these accounts have paid for the verification. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, who also got his blue tick back, tweeted that he did not pay for it. The company is reportedly restoring verified status for accounts with high follower counts, including those of late celebrities Chadwick Boseman, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jackson.