Facebook has confirmed it considers the Taliban a terrorist organisation, and so bans the group and all content supporting it from its platforms, reported BBC. The firm says it has a dedicated team of Afghan experts to monitor and remove content linked to the group. The Taliban has used social media to spread its messages for years.
Its rapid takeover of Afghanistan raises fresh challenges for technology firms on how to deal with content related to the group. The social media giant said it does not make decisions about the recognition of national governments but instead follows the “authority of the international community”. The policies of Facebook applies to all of its platforms including its flagship social media network, Instagram and WhatsApp. However, there are reports that the Taliban is using Whatsapp to communicate. Facebook told the BBC that it would take action if it found accounts on the app to be linked to the group. Rival social media platforms have also come under scrutiny over how they handle Taliban-related content. Spokesmen have used Twitter to update their hundreds of thousands of followers, as the organisation retook control of Afghanistan.
