While it operated as a rebel force opposed to the recognized government, Facebook and other platforms had banned the group as it was sanctioned as a terrorist organization under U.S. law.
The Taliban has remained a contradiction of sorts. The insurgent force, which this past week retook control of Afghanistan following the withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces, never really operated as a traditional army. It was able to defeat the far better equipped Afghan Army despite lacking tanks, artillery and the support infrastructure that most modern military forces rely on. However, at the same time the Taliban has embraced some modern technology for recruiting and propaganda, using social media to spread its message. While it operated as a rebel force opposed to the recognized government, Facebook and other platforms had banned the group as it was sanctioned as a terrorist organization under U.S. law. Now that it is positioning itself as the rightful government in Afghanistan the situation could be very different for the Taliban. „Social Media companies will need to make decisions regarding the legitimacy of the Taliban,“ explained Dr. William Pelfrey, professor of Homeland Security and Criminal Justice within the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. „All major social media organizations have policies regarding state actors, and the recognized representatives – elected or appointed – of governments,“ added Pelfrey. „The Taliban is the de facto governing body of Afghanistan but the legitimacy of power acquisition is questionable. A military leader who stages a coup should not receive the same recognition, or legitimacy, as a duly elected leader. This is particularly complicated as some countries, such as China and Russia, have started formal relations with the Taliban. Many other countries, including the United States Department of State view the Taliban as a terrorist organization.“ Taliban OK, Trump Not So Much Some media outlets and no shortage of social media users have already been quick to note that the Taliban could make a return to the platforms even as former President Donald Trump has been silenced. „It is still unclear what role platforms like Twitter and Facebook want to take in managing the information that they facilitate the spread of,“ said Jui Ramaprasad, professor in the Decision, Operations and Information Technologies department at the University of Maryland’s Robert H.
