Boyband One Direction was a group to be reckoned with until their indefinite hiatus in 2016. It came as no surprise to see that they were trending on Twitter in honor of member Liam Payne celebrating his 28th birthday today. However, One Direction also began to trend for another reason, one that angered long-time fans.
Celebrities on social media always have a verification icon to separate themselves from fan accounts. One Direction is no different. However, fans noticed today that their account verification icon was taken away, and they are not taking this lightly.
While some of Twitter used an aggressive approach when expressing their feelings, others just wanted to know why.
According to Twitter's Verification FAQ, account verifications can be taken away for multiple reasons. One of the frequent reasons involves account inactivity. Twitter's Inactive Account Policy suggests that users should log in to their accounts at least every six months, to avoid being viewed as inactiv. Many suspect that this is the reason for the loss, especially since their last Twitter post was made in Jul. 2020.
Twitter has also used this issue to create memes based on the verification removal. Although multiple users on Twitter have found this not to be a big deal, many who do care were comedically inspired by the news.
As of this publication, the blue check indicating verifications still does not appear on One Direction's offical Twitter page.
Even amidst this confusion, group member Louis Tomlinson did tweet a birthday message to Payne. However, as of this publication, bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and former bandmate Zayn Malik have not said anything.
Forming in 2010 on The X Factor, Simon Cowell signed One Direction to Syco Records in 2010. After gaining acclaim with their hit song "What Makes You Beautiful," they became one of the most successful groups in the world.
After Malik left the group in 2015, One Direction released one more album, Made in the A.M., before their hiatus. Even though it was not an official breakup, none of the members have performed or made music together since.
Each member of the group has stayed active on social media, and Payne, Tomlinson, and Malik have since become fathers. They've all been successful as solo artists, and became the first group to have each member debut their own songs in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. Styles has seemingly had the most success as a solo artist, and has been the only member to win a Grammy Award.
All music by One Direction and its individual members is available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music. Payne is the only group member to have released new music recently - his song "Sunshine" being released on Aug. 27.
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