KABUL: Facebook has removed the accounts of at least two state-owned media outlets in Afghanistan, the company confirmed Thursday, saying it was complying with laws in the United States listing the Taliban as a “terrorist organization.”
The Taliban have made liberal use of Facebook and Twitter since seizing power in August last year, and have a firm grip on state-owned media in the country — including radio and TV stations, and newspapers.
While Facebook parent Meta did not list the banned media outlets, state broadcaster National Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA) and the government-owned Bakhtar news agency both said that they had been blocked.
The Facebook pages of privately owned media houses seemed unaffected.
“The Taliban is sanctioned as a terrorist organization under US law and they are banned from using our services,” a Meta spokesperson told AFP in a statement.
“We remove accounts maintained by or on behalf of the Taliban and prohibit praise, support, and representation of them,” it added.
Government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid criticized the blocking, saying it showed “impatience and intolerance” by the US firm.
“The slogan ‘Freedom of expression’ is used to deceive other nations,” he tweeted.
RTA director Ahmadullah Wasiq said in a video statement that the Pashto and Dari-language pages of the organization on Facebook and Instagram had been closed “for unknown reasons.”
“RTA is a national institution — the voice of the nation,” he said.
Bakhtar also urged Facebook to reconsider, saying on Twitter: “The only goal of this news agency is to share accurate, timely and comprehensive information to its audiences.”
On Thursday, the hashtag “#BanTaliban” was trending on Twitter, with thousands of users calling for Taliban accounts on that platform to be blocked.
The Taliban have made prolific use of Twitter since seizing power.
While most accounts linked to the former Western-backed government have been dormant since the takeover, new “official” ones have proliferated — although none with Twitter’s blue tick of authenticity.
Facebook removes Afghan media pages controlled by Taliban
https://arab.news/bpyr3
Facebook removes Afghan media pages controlled by Taliban
- The Taliban have made liberal use of Facebook and Twitter since seizing power in August last year
- The Facebook pages of privately owned media houses seemed unaffected
Media ministry’s Konoz wins 6 gold awards
- “The Destination” showcases the developments witnessed in Saudi Arabia over the past few years across political, economic, medical, sports, cultural, media and artistic fields
RIYADH: The Konoz Saudi Arabia initiative, one of the Ministry of Media’s programs, achieved a global milestone by winning six gold awards at the AVA Digital Awards for its documentary film “The Destination.”
Awards were given for documentary, film, editing, informational, cinematography and directing.
With the achievement, the film’s total awards since its release have risen to 13, in addition to receiving three international commendations, bringing the initiative’s overall tally to more than 50 local and international awards.
“The Destination” showcases the developments witnessed in Saudi Arabia over the past few years across political, economic, medical, sports, cultural, media and artistic fields. The film highlights the steady and accelerated steps toward realizing Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s transformation into a global destination.
The documentary is currently available on the Shahid and stc tv platforms, in addition to being screened onboard Saudia flights. It combines creative footage drawn from trusted media sources covering events across the Kingdom with exclusive interviews featuring experts and specialists in the fields addressed by the film.
To date, the documentary has surpassed 10 million views across various platforms.
The AVA Digital Awards are among the most prestigious international awards, established in the US nearly 19 years ago. The awards aim to honor excellence in planning, directing, design and production across digital campaigns, audio and video production, website development, and social-media marketing and engagement.
