WhatsApp also blocked other “official Taliban channels,” according to the report.
“We’re obligated to adhere to U.S. sanctions laws,” a WhatsApp spokesperson said Tuesday via email.
“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.”
Security officials have long argued that WhatsApp and other encrypted messaging apps havehindered terroristandcriminal investigations.
When asked about freedom of speech, a Taliban spokesman on Tuesday reportedlycalled out Facebook for censoring information.
Facebook and other social media platforms have the right to remove posts that go against their terms of service.
Free speech protections under the First Amendment apply only to the government censoring speech.
