Last Updated on 22/11/2021 by Sanskriti
As the Taliban has taken the command in their hands of Afghanistan, Facebook has added additional security features for users in Afghanistan who are concerned about their safety. To safeguard users from being targeted, the company claims it “blocked the ability to see and search the ‘Friends’ list for Facebook accounts in Afghanistan.”
LinkedIn, a professional networking platform, has taken precautions as well, by obscuring the connections of anybody in the nation.
The Taliban is suspected of utilizing social media to track out opponents.
Facebook’s chief of security policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, revealed the extra safety measures on Thursday.
Mr. Gleicher tweeted, “We’ve launched a one-click tool for people in Afghanistan to quickly lock down their account. When their profile is locked, people who aren’t their friends can’t download or share their profile photo or see posts on their timeline.”
He said that on Facebook-owned Instagram “we’re rolling out pop-up alerts in Afghanistan with specific steps on how to protect your account”.
Mr. Gleicher also added that Facebook was “working closely with our counterparts in industry, civil society and government to provide whatever support we can to help protect people”.
Earlier this week, the internet giant stated that it will continue to block Taliban content from its platforms since the group is considered a terrorist organization by the company.
In a statement released this week, Twitter stated that its “first priority is keeping people safe, and we stay vigilant.”
“The situation in Afghanistan is rapidly evolving. We’re also witnessing people in the country using Twitter to seek help and assistance.”
Twitter has been chastised for its treatment of Taliban-related content.
As the terrorist group retook control of Afghanistan, Taliban spokesman utilized the site to inform its hundreds of thousands of supporters.
A business spokesman emphasized prohibitions prohibiting violent organizations and abusive behavior in response to BBC queries regarding the Taliban’s use of Twitter earlier this week.
Twitter does not accept groups that encourage terrorism or violence against people, according to its guidelines.
A LinkedIn company spokesperson said In a statement emailed to the BBC: “Our team is closely monitoring conversations about developments in Afghanistan and taking action on any content that doesn’t follow our professional community policies.
“We’ve also taken some temporary measures including limiting the visibility of connections for our members in the country.”