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| Facebook blocks Taliban-related content |
Facebook banned the Taliban and their main WhatsApp and Instagram platforms from any content promoting them.
The social media giant said it considers the Afghan organization, which has been using social media platforms to highlight its information for years, as a terrorist organization.
Facebook said it has a dedicated content review team tasked with monitoring and removing posts, photos, videos and other content related to the Taliban.
"Under US law, the Taliban are designated as a terrorist organization and are prohibited from using our services under the dangerous organization policy," a Facebook spokesperson said.
The company added that this means writing off accounts owned by or on behalf of the Taliban, as well as those who have praised, supported and represented them.
"We also have a dedicated team of Afghan experts who speak Dari and Pashto and understand the local situation. This helps us identify and alert us to issues that occur on the platform," he said.
The company said it had not yet decided whether or not it would recognize the governments. Instead, it follows the authority of the international community.
Facebook Dilemma
The Taliban are said to continue to use WhatsApp to communicate. It's an end-to-end encrypted chat platform, which means Facebook can't see what people share on it.
A WhatsApp spokesperson said: “As a private messaging service, we do not have access to people's personal chat content. However, if we learn that an individual or organization is under sanction on our part, we take action.
A Facebook spokesperson said WhatsApp uses artificial intelligence software to analyze unencrypted group information, including names, account photos and group descriptions, to meet legal obligations.
According to YouTube, which is owned by Alphabet, the Community Guidelines apply to everyone as well. The platform applies its strategy to the content and contexts it offers. The company has stated that the content you provide can provide sufficient educational, documentary, scientific and technical background.
A Twitter spokesperson said: "The situation in Afghanistan is changing rapidly. We are also seeing people in this country turning to Twitter for help. Twitter's main mission is to keep people safe and we remain vigilant.
"We will continue to proactively enforce our rules and review content that may violate the Twitter Rules, particularly the policies that oppose glorification of violence, platform manipulation, and spam."