Facebook has brought in new safety measures for users worried for their safety in Afghanistan as the Taliban continue to cement their grip on power.
Facebook said it “removed the ability to view and search the ‘Friends’ list for Facebook accounts in Afghanistan” to protect people from being targeted.
Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s head of security policy, announced the additional safety measures on Thursday. Mr. Gleicher tweeted: “We’ve launched a one-click tool for people in Afghanistan to quickly lock down their account. When their profile is locked, people who aren’t their friends can’t download or share their profile photo or see posts on their timeline. We’re rolling out pop-up alerts in Afghanistan with specific steps on how to protect your account”. Mr. Gleicher added that Facebook was “working closely with our counterparts in industry, civil society and government to provide whatever support we can to help protect people”.
Meanwhile, professional networking site LinkedIn has also taken steps by hiding the connections of anyone in the country and Twitter made a statement this week that its “top priority is keeping people safe, and we remain vigilant. The situation in Afghanistan is rapidly evolving. We’re also witnessing people in the country using Twitter to seek help and assistance.”
This comes amidst concerns that the Taliban are tracking people through the use of social media.
Sources: BBC
Follow FiND iT on Facebook here.
ALSO READ: Taliban hunting down Afghans on blacklist – report
