(RoyalPatriot.com )- The Taliban will be banning the social media platform TikTok in Afghanistan claiming the video platform is “immoral” and promotes “western lifestyle” and “non-Islamic content.”
A Taliban official who spoke to the UK Daily Mail said TikTok “promotes violence” and spreads “immoral and non-Islamic content” among “vulnerable youths of Afghanistan.”
The official told the Mail that “for the sake of our youths’ future,” TikTok must be blocked in Afghanistan.
At the heart of the issue is TikTok “advertising western lifestyle.” The official told the Mail that platforms like TikTok spread content that is counter to an Islamic country.
The same is true of Facebook, the official added.
He told the Mail that the Taliban has a “duty to take care of young people.”
The Taliban announced its decision to ban TikTok during a meeting with representatives of the security sectors and the Sharia law enforcement administration. It has given internet providers 30 days to ban TikTok, according to the ministry of telecommunication.
Recently, the Taliban has also imposed bans on music, movies, and television soap operas. They also banned TV channels from airing “immoral material” and barred channels from airing foreign movies or shows.
Additionally, 23.4 million websites have also been blocked in Afghanistan for “immoral content.”
During the meeting, Deputy Communications Minister Ahmad Masoud Latif Rai also criticized Facebook over its reluctance to cooperate with Taliban officials on content moderation.
According to the UN, since the Taliban took over, there have been significant changes in Afghanistan’s media landscape. More than half of the free media has been shut down while work restrictions and threats against journalists have been rising.
