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Taliban slams Facebook for curbing Afghanistan’s freedom of speech
The Taliban has slammed social media giant Facebook over protections on freedom of speech
The militant group has taken aim at the tech giant for curbing freedom of speech in Afghanistan following a ban on its content, as a result of the crackdown by the US firm.
Reports claim that while answering a question on freedom of speech at a virtual press conference, Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen stated that, “The question should be asked to those people who are claiming to be promoters of freedom of speech who do not allow publication of all information.. the Facebook company, this question should be asked to them.”
On Monday, Facebook confirmed that under the obligation of US law, it was bound to ban the outfit’s content from its social media platforms, including WhatsApp, as the Taliban are designated a terrorist group.
“The Taliban is sanctioned as a terrorist organization under US law and we have banned them from our services under our Dangerous Organization policies,”
It was further stated that the company is required to follow the US sanctions
According to the Financial Times, reports also detail that Facebook has been forced to shut down a WhatsApp hotline the Taliban had set up to receive complaints about violence and looting.
The news comes with social media platforms facing pressure to block accounts used by the Taliban since the offensive which led to the takeover of the war-ravaged country.
Facebook said it was using “a dedicated team of Afghanistan experts to help guide policy.