According to reports, Facebook considers the Afghan group, which has for years utilized social media platforms to spread its beliefs, to be a terrorist organization. Facebook claims to have a specialized staff of content moderators that monitor and remove Taliban-related posts, photos, videos, and other information. The exact number of members on the team is unknown. However, Taliban themselves have claimed yet assured to the whole world that they will not harm any individual and property in Afghanistan or anywhere else. “We also have a dedicated team of Afghanistan specialists, who are native Dari and Pashto speakers and are familiar with the local context, assisting us in identifying and alerting us to emerging concerns on the platform,” Facebook added. Facebook also stated that it does not make judgments on whether or not to recognize sovereign governments, but rather defers to the “authority of the international community.” This year, major social media companies made high-profile judgments about how to handle current world leaders and other groups in power. RELATED: Facebook bans bans historical artefacts trade
WhatsApp’s stance On Taliban’s digital communication
According to reports, the Taliban is still communicating using WhatsApp. Because the chat platform is end-to-end encrypted, Facebook cannot see what users share on it. “As a private messaging service, we do not have access to the contents of people’s personal chats; but, if we become aware of a sanctioned individual or organization having a presence on WhatsApp, we take action”, said WhatsApp spokesperson.
Twitter’s Action on Taliban related content
In the meanwhile, other social media sites have been questioned about how they manage Taliban-related information. The investigation comes after a Taliban spokesperson with hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers utilized the medium to keep people updated during the Afghan takeover. In response to queries about the above-mentioned case, a Twitter spokesman emphasized regulations against violent organizations and hate speech, but did not elaborate on how they classify people. Twitter does not accept groups that encourage terrorism or violence against people, according to its guidelines.
Taliban expressed their desire for peaceful ties
The takeover, which marks the Taliban’s return, has sparked fears that the country will face a complete crackdown on free speech and human rights. Furthermore, Taliban officials have released comments expressing their desire for peaceful foreign ties and promising to defend Afghans.
