Because of America’s rapid exit from Afghanistan after two decades of occupation. Social media platforms discussing a hot topic to make difficult political judgments. These corporations will have to raise new concerns when the infamously vicious repression group. The Taliban, tries to promote itself as Afghanistan’s legitimate government. To consolidate control and take over power, the Taliban’s use of social media platforms has anticipated to increase as political and government officials become more prominent.
A number of steps have taken by Facebook to protect its users from probable repression should Taliban rule come to fruition. Nate Gleicher revealed a variety of additional measures taken by Facebook during the past week on Twitter. Those in Afghanistan may now ban their accounts quickly. Remove postings from their history, and prohibit anybody who isn’t a friend from downloading or sharing their profile images with just a single click.
Facebook has also removed the ability for users to browse and search friends lists of people in Afghanistan. On Instagram, pop-up notifications tell Afghan users how to quickly lock their accounts. As all the social media platforms discussing the hot topic, “what to do with the Taliban?”. And all platforms have also banned Taliban accounts.
The Taliban have banned from Facebook for years because of Facebook’s prohibitions on violent organizations. Taliban would no longer have access to accounts they made for themselves or on their behalf “A Facebook official informed the BBC.
Whatsapp Banned Afghan Taliban Accounts
The Afghan Taliban have not listed as a foreign terrorist organization by the US State Department, but the Taliban operating outside Pakistan have had that name since 2010. Although they are not on the list of foreign terrorist organizations, the Afghanistan-based Taliban have designated. As a terrorist group under United States economic sanctions after September 11.
While the Taliban have also banned from WhatsApp, which has owned by Facebook. Platform-to-end encryption makes enforcement of these rules difficult on WhatsApp. Over the past three years, the Afghan army and Taliban have depended on chat applications to communicate. Although Facebook does not allow the Taliban to use its platform. The organization used WhatsApp as a means of announcing plans to take control of the Afghan people. And suppress resistance in a very rapid and painless sprint to power For Afghans to use as a sort of hotline, the Taliban even set up a WhatsApp number. But Facebook immediately took off the account.
Recently, Facebook’s Vice President for Content Policy Monica Bickert said that the site will analyze. And make its own choices regardless of whether or not the United States finally removed the Taliban from its list of sanctioned terrorist organizations. As Bickert put it, “we must look at whether or not they’re still breaking our standards on hazardous organizations.”
Youtube & Twitter Reaction Towards Taliban
YouTube also claims to have barred the Taliban from its website, similar to Facebook’s allegation. If US sentiments against the Taliban shift, it appears that YouTube’s move is also in line with sanctions.
A YouTube spokesman told, “YouTube complies with all relevant sanctions and trade laws, including any US penalties”. So, “if we uncover a suspected Taliban account, we’ll shut it down.” We also ban anything that incites violence.”
Twitter is still used by Taliban spokesperson Zabihula Mujahid for frequent updates on the group’s actions in Kabul. Kari Yousaf Ahmadi, another Taliban spokesman, also publishes freely on the platform. Instead of a blanket ban like Facebook and YouTube, Twitter will apply its standards upon publishing.
TIKTOK Sees Taliban as a Terrorist Organization
If the Taliban expand their presence on social media, other platforms could be faced with the same solution. According to NBC News, TikTok sees the Taliban as a terrorist organization and will not allow anything praising that group on its platform.
The Taliban don’t appear to be gaining a foothold outside of the most popular social networks. But it’s not hard to imagine the former insurgent turning to alternative platforms to rebrand his image as the world watches.
As for what may happen if the gang utilized the platform. Twitch has appropriate regulations that accommodate for “out of service conduct” when it comes to banning users. These guidelines were developed in response to Twitch streamers reporting violent conduct and sexual harassment.
The new rules also apply to accounts associated with violent extremism, terrorism, or other serious threats, whether the act was committed on or off Twitch. This definition is likely to prevent the Taliban from establishing a presence on the platform, even if the US lifts sanctions or changes its terrorist duties in the future.
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