In the wake of the Taliban’s takeover, Facebook Take Steps to Protect Afghan Users’ Accounts

As the Taliban maintains their grip on power in Afghanistan, Facebook has implemented new safety measures for users concerned about their safety.

To safeguard people from being targeted, the company says it ‘removed the ability to view and search the ‘Friends’ list for Facebook accounts in Afghanistan.’

LinkedIn, a professional networking platform, has taken precautions as well, by obscuring the connections of everyone in the nation.

The Taliban is suspected of exploiting social media to track down opponents.

Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s head of security policy, revealed the enhanced security measures on Thursday.

‘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,’ Mr Gleicher tweeted.

‘We’re rolling out pop-up alerts in Afghanistan with specific steps on how to protect your account,’ he said on Facebook-owned Instagram.

Facebook is ‘working closely with our counterparts in industry, civil society, and government to provide whatever support we can to help protect people,’ according to Mr Gleicher.

The tech giant previously stated that it would continue to block Taliban content from its platforms because the group is considered a terrorist organization.