Taliban hits 600k Twitter followers despite social media crackdown – while Donald Trump is still banned
TWITTER has refused to join its social media counterparts in banning Taliban officials from its platform – despite upholding its permanent block of Donald Trump.
In a statement Tuesday, the microblogging site said Taliban spokesmen would be allowed to tweet provided they refrain from promoting violence.
The company said it would "continue to proactively enforce" its rules outlawing the "glorification of violence, platform manipulation and spam".
"Twitter’s top priority is keeping people safe, and we remain vigilant," the statement added.
The move has drawn ire from right-wing pundits after Twitter banned then-President Donald Trump in the wake of the January 6 Capitol riot.
And it's in stark contrast to the tech titan's rivals. Facebook, TikTok and YouTube have all blocked accounts related to or promoting the Taliban.
The militant group has used social media as a launching pad for propaganda and recruitment campaigns for years.
Its rapid takeover of Afghanistan raises fresh challenges for tech giants tasked with moderating content related to the Islamist group.
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TALIBAN MOUTHPIECE
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban's official spokesman, has more than 310,000 followers on Twitter.
He has had an active Twitter account since 2017, and is regularly quoted by the mainstream media.
Over the weekend, the account tweeted live updates as the Taliban stormed the Afghan capital of Kabul.
A second spokesperson, Suhail Shaehee, has more than 350,000 Twitter followers.
The pair regularly deny credible reports of horrifying violence carried out by Taliban fighters.
Recently, Shaheen has used Twitter to broadcast that henchmen have been ordered not to enter people's homes.
He also described reports that soldiers were forcing young girls into marriage as "poisonous propaganda."
TRUMP BACKLASH
Twitter's decision to allow Taliban spokesmen on its platform while upholding its ban of Trump has drawn criticism from conservatives.
On Tuesday, Rep. Doug Lamborn sent a letter to Twitter boss Jack Dorsey expressing concerns about Twitter aiding Taliban propaganda.
"Why does Twitter allow two Taliban spokesmen to have a platform but restricts the First Amendment Rights of former President Trump? It's past time to hold #BigTech accountable. #Taliban," he tweeted.
Lamborn argued in his letter that the Taliban falls under the "violent organization category."
"In my review of these accounts, I did not find a single fact check on any of their tweets, nor any warnings for false or misleading content," he wrote.
"These propaganda updates usually assert that the overthrow has been largely peaceful, despite reports to the contrary ... It is impossible to see how the accounts of Zabihullah Mujahid and Yousef Ahmandi do not violate your policies."
Madison Cawthorn, a North Carolina Republican, asked: "Why on God's green Earth does the Taliban spokesman have an active Twitter account but not the former President of the United States?
"Who's side is the AMERICA BASED Big-Tech companies on?" he added.
Conservative academic and political philosophy lecturer Adrian Hilton highlighted Twitter's double standards.
"Twitter banned Donald Trump for expressing support for rioters who stormed the US Capitol. Twitter permitted the Taliban official spokesman to live-tweet Mujahideen terror, the acquisition of arms, storming the Afghanistan capital, and the occupation of the presidential palace," the University of Surrey academic wrote.
WHATSAPP BAN
Facebook on Tuesday confirmed that it is blocking the Taliban from its platforms as it considers the group to be a "terrorist organisation".
The ban means Taliban accounts and related content is being removed from both Instagram and Facebook.
"The Taliban is sanctioned as a terrorist organization under US law and we have banned them from our services under our Dangerous Organization policies,"; a Facebook spokesperson said.
"This means we remove accounts maintained by or on behalf of the Taliban and prohibit praise, support, and representation of them."
WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, is blocking accounts linked to the Taliban.
The chat app has also shut down a WhatsApp hotline that the Taliban had set up to receive complaints about violence and looting, according to the FT.
TALIBAN TAKEOVER
The Taliban on Monday took control of Afghanistan – just weeks after the US withdrew troops from the war-torn country.
Fighters swarmed the capital Kabul after capturing a number of key cities in a lightning advance.
Twenty years after they were ejected by the US and its allies in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks they stand on the brink of regaining power.
Taliban stormed Afghanistan’s Presidential Palace and declared they were "victorious" in gaining control of the country over the weekend.
Foreign diplomats have fled the country.
Meanwhile, thousands of Afghans have mobbed Kabul's airport trying to flee.
Taliban thugs have attacked women and children with whips and sticks before firing their guns amid chaos at the airport, reports claim.
Some have managed to escape. The first Brits and Afghan refugees safely touched down in the UK on Tuesday thanks to a dramatic RAF rescue.
The takeover ends two decades of occupation by foreign forces.
US President Joe Biden has been criticised for his decision to pull troops out of the country ahead of the 20th anniversary of 9/11.
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