As social media companies faced questions about how they would handle the Taliban that quickly gained control of Afghanistan, on August 17 Alphabet's YouTube stated that it has a long-held policy of not permitting accounts suspected to be run by the Taliban on its platform.
After 20 years of exile, the Taliban has come into power in Afghanistan and this development has sparked fears of suppression of freedom of expression and human rights, particularly women's rights, as well as fears that the country could once again become a hub for international terrorism.
Separately, according to a reported media outlet, WhatsApp has shut down a complaints helpline set up by the Taliban when it took over the Kabul and presidential palace on August 15.
A spokesperson of Facebook-owned WhatsApp declined to comment on the move but said the company was required by US sanctions rules to block accounts that appear to be Taliban official accounts.
According to the report, Facebook disabled the complaints number, which was an emergency hotline for citizens to report violence, looting, and other problems as well as other official Taliban channels.
On August 16, Facebook announced that it has designated the Taliban as a terrorist organisation and has banned it, as well as content promoting it, from its platforms.
Meanwhile, a Taliban spokesman accused Facebook of censorship at a press conference on August 17.
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Multiple major social media and messaging services are struggling with what and who should be allowed on their platforms in the aftermath of the Taliban's swift conquest of Afghanistan.
When asked if the Taliban might run official Afghan government Facebook pages or accounts, the company cited a statement in which it stated that it respected the international community's authority in deciding on recognised governments.
During the country's takeover, Taliban spokesmen with hundreds of thousands of followers have tweeted updates. In a statement, a Twitter spokesperson said the network would review content that might violate its rules, particularly those prohibiting the glorification of violence or platform manipulations.