Tommy Robinson has been stripped of his verified status on Twitter after the social media platform took aim at a number of controversial individuals it deemed had breeched its new guidelines. 

Users can now have their coveted blue ticks taken away for a number of offences including “promoting hate”, “harassment” and posting “gruesome, shocking and disturbing imagery”.

Twitter also says behaviour “on or off Twitter” can lead to a loss of verified status.

Robinson announced his deverification in a doom-laden tweet.

Others to lose their blue ticks include white supremacist, Richard Spencer, alt-right Mormon ‘Wife with a Purpose’ and alt-right commentator Laura Loomer.

Robinson, the ex-EDL leader and outspoken critic of Islam, told HuffPost UK the move was a “blatant attack on free speech”. 

He added: “I’ve breached none of their guidelines. If they are saying that I promote hate then we have laws against that in the UK so the police would have arrested me.

Asked if he would take action against the move, he said: “I don’t need to – by doing this the public become aware of the attempts to silence me thus giving me more support.”

Whilst many of those supporters agreed with him others were less sympathetic.

But others suggested the move puts Twitter in a “tricky place” and that it could be seen as an endorsement of some views over others.

Last week, Twitter attempted to clarify that the check mark was just meant to authenticate identity and voice while adding they were temporarily pausing general verifications.

The full list of reasons people can lose their blue ticks is as follows:

• Intentionally misleading people on Twitter by changing one’s display name or bio.
• Promoting hate and/or violence against, or directly attacking or threatening other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or disease. Supporting organizations or individuals that promote the above.
• Inciting or engaging in harassment of others.
• Violence and dangerous behavior.
• Directly or indirectly threatening or encouraging any form of physical violence against an individual or any group of people, including threatening or promoting terrorism.
• Violent, gruesome, shocking, or disturbing imagery.
• Self-harm, suicide.
• Engaging in activity on Twitter that violates the Twitter Rules.