Francesca Albanese loses blue checkmark on X after US sanctions

Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, has lost her "blue check" verification badge on X, formerly Twitter.

The removal, which occurred today, marks the first reported instance of a UN official having their verified status removed from a major social media platform due to national sanctions.

This action follows a legal appeal sent to X's owner, Elon Musk, by a law firm representing the Geneva-based watchdog UN Watch on July 31, 2025.

UN Watch is often described as “a lobby group with strong ties to Israel”, and regulatory denounces what it says is anti-”Israel” sentiment at the UN and UN-sponsored events.

The de-verification comes after the US government sanctioned Albanese on July 9, 2025. These sanctions, enacted under Executive Order 14203, include freezing any US-based assets, prohibiting her entry into the United States, and banning US citizens and entities from providing her with goods or services.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified the sanctions by stating Albanese had "spewed unabashed antisemitism, expressed support for terrorism, and open contempt for the United States, Israel, and the West," specifically citing her efforts to "prompt the International Criminal Court (ICC) action against US and Israeli officials, companies and executives".

Albanese, an Italian human rights lawyer appointed UN Special Rapporteur in May 2022, has been a vocal critic of “Israel's” actions in Gaza, asserting they amount to genocide and calling for an immediate ceasefire.

She recently issued a report identifying US companies aiding Israel's occupation and war in Gaza.

In response to the sanctions, Albanese dismissed them as "mafia-style intimidation techniques" and "obscene," reaffirming her commitment to justice and international law.

X's policy mandates compliance with trade laws, including US sanctions, stating that individuals or entities on a restricted sanctions list "can't purchase X Premium to keep your verification".

UN Watch, which actively lobbied for the sanctions, hailed the removal of Albanese's blue check as a "major achievement," aiming for "full enforcement of the sanctions against Albanese across all platforms and institutions".