The conflicting approaches taken by Facebook and Twitter to Taliban social media accounts perfectly illustrate the content review dilemma faced by online platforms. EURACTIV French report.
Facebook comfirmed It told the BBC last week that it will continue to ban the Taliban from accessing its social media platforms because it gives priority to banning accounts related to terrorist organizations. Twitter still allows spokespersons of the organization to express their opinions in order to provide access to information.
Although the restraint policies of the two social media giants leave no room for hatred or violent content, the issue of the rights of Taliban representatives to express opinions on the Internet has not really been resolved until now.
“According to U.S. law, the Taliban are sanctioned as a terrorist organization, and we have prohibited them from using our services,” a Facebook spokesperson told EURACTIV, insisting that social media “does not make decisions about recognized governments in any particular country. It is to respect the authority of the international community to make these decisions.”
A Facebook representative said that the social media platform has hired a team of “Afghan experts” whose mother tongue is Dari and Pashto, both of which are official languages of Afghanistan, to better determine moderation needs and problems.
A spokesperson for Facebook’s WhatsApp also told EURACTIV that they are “obligated to comply with U.S. sanctions laws” and emphasized that this includes “banning accounts that appear to represent themselves as official Taliban accounts.”
However, Twitter takes a different approach. Several accounts belonging to the Taliban are still active, including that of their spokesperson Suhail Shaheen, who has more than 388,000 followers.
A three-person committee was established in Kabul to appease the media.
A member of the Cultural Council, a member of the journalist and media alliance, and a member of the Kabul Police Department will participate as members.
They will solve the media problems in Kabul.-Suhail Shaheen. محمد سهیل شاهین (@ suhailshaheen1) August 22, 2021
At the same time, Twitter’s Violent Organization Policy The statement stated that “violent organizations, including terrorist organizations and violent extremist groups, or individuals associated with these organizations that promote their illegal activities” have no place to stay.
It considers those who “have participated or are currently involved in violence and/or promote violence to advance their cause” and “target civilians in their actions and/or promote violence” as extremist groups.
When EURACTIV contacted Twitter, Twitter explained that it continued to apply its policy of moderation, especially in terms of “glamorizing violence, abusive behavior, hateful behavior, desire for harm and unprovoked blood”, but declined to comment on accounts held by members. Taliban.
The “free pass” granted to the Taliban angered some politicians and activists.
“When Twitter continued to ban the #Trump account, but unthinkingly relayed the account of the Taliban spokesperson, freedom and democracy did not perform well,” Tweet National MEP Jérôme Rivière rally for identity and democratic groups.
Adam Hadley, director Anti-terrorism technology, Telling EURACTIV, “The Taliban maintains a complex and extensive online information ecosystem”.
He added: “Due to the lack of international consensus on the status of the Taliban as a terrorist organization, it usually operates more freely online than other violent Islamic organizations affiliated with Al-Qaida and the Islamic State.”
Online anti-terrorist organizations call on technology companies to delete or restrict access to Taliban content, “because it is a designated organization” [as terrorist] Some governments and intergovernmental agencies” and consulted lists compiled by countries, it urged countries to have greater autonomy on this issue.
However, Hadley acknowledged that these platforms found themselves in a “dilemma” and believed that Twitter’s approach was “understandable.” “One might argue that the Taliban’s status as the new government of Afghanistan should prevent them from being sanctioned,” he added.
Protect Afghans
Both Facebook and Twitter announced that they are working to protect the accounts of Afghan users.
“We are taking steps to protect the voices of people representing protected groups, including humanitarian workers, journalists, news media organizations, human rights activists and others,” a Twitter spokesperson told EURACTIV.
Facebook has also temporarily cancelled the ability to view or search the friend list of its Afghan accounts. Nathaniel Gleicher, the company’s security chief, already confirmed.
“We have launched a one-click tool for Afghans to quickly lock their accounts. When their profile is locked, people who are not their friends will not be able to download or share their profile photos or view their timeline Posts,” he elaborated on Twitter.
Similar protection measures have been deployed on Facebook’s Instagram.
[Edited by Luca Bertuzzi/Zoran Radosavljevic]
