Facebook has closed a group on the WhatsApp application in Afghanistan that was created by the Taliban to receive citizens’ complaints after taking control of the country, according to the Financial Times on Tuesday. A WhatsApp spokesperson told AFP, "We are obligated to comply with U.S. sanctions laws, which include banning accounts that identify themselves as official Taliban accounts." The Taliban, which seized power in Kabul on Sunday, announced last week that it had made a special number available for the public to contact them and report any complaints.
The WhatsApp spokesperson added, "We are in the process of requesting more information from the relevant U.S. authorities due to the evolving situation in Afghanistan," refusing to provide further details. During its first press conference, which was streamed live online on Tuesday, the Taliban severely criticized Facebook for the ban it imposes at a time when the social media giant advocates for freedom of expression. When asked how ready the militant Islamic movement is to respect Afghans' right to free expression, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said, "The question should be directed at those who present themselves as guarantors of freedom of expression but do not allow all information to be published. This question should be directed at Facebook."
Attention is focused on how major social media platforms will handle the content published by the Taliban on these platforms as the militant Islamic group announced it would form a government after gaining control over the rest of Afghanistan. A Facebook spokesperson stated to AFP on Tuesday morning that "the Taliban is classified as a terrorist organization under U.S. law, and we have banned it from all our services under our rules regarding dangerous organizations." The spokesperson reminded that Facebook has a team of Afghan experts who speak local languages and are well aware of the situation in the country, who alert the platform’s management to any issues in this regard.
The spokesperson emphasized that "regardless of who is in power, we will take appropriate action against accounts and content that violate our rules." Both Twitter and YouTube have similar rules, although Twitter does not impose a prior ban on Taliban accounts unless they post content that violates the site's rules concerning violence and content manipulation. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid announced via Twitter on Sunday that the group "entered the city of Kabul to ensure security." Thousands of Afghans fled the cities that were overtaken by the Taliban in the north last week and sought refuge in the capital. Some of these individuals recounted horrific scenes: corpses left in the streets, girls kidnapped for marriage, and young men forcibly recruited. However, the Taliban denied these accusations. On Tuesday, in its first press conference, the Taliban confirmed that the war in Afghanistan has ended and that the group has issued a general amnesty for all its opponents.
