UPDATE 1-YouTube states it bans accounts believed to be owned by the Taliban

(Provides WhatsApp remark, track record)

By Elizabeth Culliford

Aug 17 (Reuters) – Alphabet Inc’s YouTube claimed on Tuesday it bans accounts believed to be owned and operated by the Taliban, as U.S. social media firms scrambled to publicly clarify their guidelines on the group that is in handle of Afghanistan.

After U.S.-led forces withdrew the bulk of their remaining troops very last thirty day period, the Taliban marketing campaign accelerated as the Afghan military’s defences melted absent. Taliban insurgents entered the cash Kabul on Sunday.

Their return has raised fears of a crackdown on flexibility of speech and human legal rights, primarily women’s rights, and concerns that the nation could yet again become a hotspot for world terrorism.

Separately, the Economical Times reported that Fb Inc’s WhatsApp messaging assistance has shut down a grievances helpline set up by the Taliban immediately after it took management of Kabul.(https://on.ft.com/3yXNI0e)

A WhatsApp spokesperson declined to remark on the motion, but stated the company was obligated to ban accounts that look to represent on their own as official accounts of the Taliban, as part of U.S sanction laws.

The problems amount that was an emergency hotline for civilians to report violence, looting or other difficulties was blocked by Fb on Tuesday, alongside with other official Taliban channels, the report reported.

Facebook had on Monday reported it designates the Taliban a terrorist team and bans it and content material supporting it from its platforms.

YouTube, when asked if it banned the Taliban on Monday, declined to comment.

(Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru and Elizabeth Culliford in London Modifying by Arun Koyyur)