Social media giants protect Afghan users’ accounts amid Taliban takeover

The social media giants are stepping up their protection efforts of users in Afghanistan

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have confirmed they had moved to secure the accounts of Afghan citizens to protect them against being targeted amid the Taliban’s swift takeover of the country.

Head of security policy at Facebook, Nathaniel Gleicher stated in a tweet that Facebook has temporarily removed the ability for people to view or search the friends lists of accounts in Afghanistan.

Gleicher also stated that the company had launched a “one-click tool” for users in Afghanistan to lock down their accounts, so people who are not their Facebook friends would be unable to see their timeline posts or share their profile photos.

Human rights groups have voiced concerns that the Taliban could use online platforms to track Afghans’ digital histories or social connections

Amnesty International stated that this week thousands of Afghans, including academics, journalists and human rights defenders, were at serious risk of Taliban confrontations.

The former captain of the Afghan women’s soccer team has also urged players to delete social media and erase their public identities.