Facebook has reaffirmed its ban on Taliban-related accounts, as have the Facebook-owned WhatsApp and Instagram, even as the group engages in a publicity campaign to persuade Afghans and the rest of the world that they can be just and competent rulers. The Taliban, who seized power over Afghanistan in the past week, are banned under Facebook’s “Dangerous Individuals and Organizations” policy, a Facebook statement said. “This means we remove accounts maintained by or on behalf of the Taliban and prohibit praise, support and representation of them,” the statement emailed this week said. “We also have a dedicated team of regional experts helping to identify and alert us to emerging issues on the platform.”The statement added that “Facebook does not make decisions about the recognized government in any particular country, but instead respects the authority of the international community in making these determinations.”

Source: International New York Times August 18, 2021 12:56 UTC