The question of what to allow online with the Taliban is only likely to grow for the social media companies. “The Taliban’s use of social media is intentional,” said Graham Brookie, director of the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, which studies the online spread of information. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and Hezbollah, in Lebanon, have used social media to show their softer side, with videos showing them celebrating popular holidays or giving to the poor. On YouTube, the group’s videos have started getting tens of thousands of views, up from an average of fewer than 1,000 views previously. “There is a very real debate to be had about the values of allowing the Taliban to remain on social media as they move to close down the rights of the groups they govern,” he said.

Source: New York Times August 18, 2021 17:48 UTC