SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook said Tuesday it was blocking WhatsApp accounts linked to the Taliban after the radical Islamic group seized control of Afghanistan and sought to use the messaging service to help it govern.
“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 told AFP.
The Facebook move shut down a WhatsApp hotline the Taliban had set up to receive complaints about violence and looting, according to the Financial Times.
A WhatsApp spokesperson said in an email to AFP that the company is required to follow US sanctions.
“This includes banning accounts that appear to represent themselves as official accounts of the Taliban. We’re seeking more information from relevant US authorities given the evolving situation in Afghanistan,” the company said.
“This means we remove accounts maintained by or on behalf of the Taliban and prohibit praise, support, and representation of them.”
The news comes with social media platforms facing pressure to block accounts used by the Taliban since the offensive which led to the takeover of the war-ravaged country.
Facebook said it was using “a dedicated team of Afghanistan experts, who are native Dari and Pashto speakers and have knowledge of local context,” to help guide policy.
“Our teams are closely monitoring this situation as it evolves. Facebook does not make decisions about the recognized governmentin any particular country but instead respects the authority of the international community in making these determinations,” Facebook said.
A Taliban spokesman meanwhile criticized Facebook for blocking “freedom of speech” in the country as a result of the crackdown by the US firm.
At a news conference streamed online, the Taliban official responded to a question about freedom of expression by saying, “The question should be asked to those people who are claiming to be promoters of freedom of speech who do not allow publication of all information.. the Facebook company, this question should be asked to them.”
Facebook blocks Taliban’s WhatsApp accounts
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Facebook blocks Taliban’s WhatsApp accounts
- Facebook, the parent company of WhatsApp, announces that it will block WhatsApp accounts linked to the Taliban
- The move comes after Facebook banned all Taliban-related content on the platform on Tuesday after the group entered Kabul
TikTok names 2025 MENA Awards nominees ahead of Dubai ceremony
- Awards celebrate 66 creators across 11 categories, spanning food, sport, education, entertainment, fashion, and beauty
- Ceremony will take place during the 1 Billion Followers Summit on Jan. 8
LONDON: TikTok has announced the nominees for its 2025 MENA Awards, an annual showcase of the creators, trends and cultural moments that shaped the region’s online conversation over the past year.
For the first time, the awards will be held in Dubai during the 1 Billion Followers Summit in January, which is one of the world’s largest gatherings of digital creators.
“We’re proud to celebrate the return of the TikTok Awards in MENA, a moment dedicated to spotlighting the remarkable creativity emerging from our region and the creators who continue to inspire creativity and bring joy to millions every day,” Kinda Ibrahim, regional general manager of operations, TikTok Middle East, Africa, South and Central Asia, said.
This year’s TikTok Awards MENA will highlight 66 creators across 11 categories, spanning food, sport, education, entertainment, fashion, and beauty, alongside four cross-cutting prizes: Creator of the Year, Visionary Content Award, Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Changemaker of the Year.
TikTok said the shortlisted accounts reflect how MENA creators drove global conversations in 2025, from viral sounds and challenges to issue-based campaigns and long-form storytelling that traveled beyond the region’s borders.
The platform said the awards are an opportunity to recognize creators whose work has helped define the platform’s mix of humor, lifestyle, music, and social commentary in Arabic and other languages.
The ceremony will also include performances by regional artists whose tracks have underpinned major TikTok trends this year, with the full lineup due to be confirmed later in December.
A full list of nominees is available on TikTok MENA channel. Public voting for the awards is now open and runs until Dec. 23, with winners set to be announced at the summit on Jan. 8.
