Eating Ice Cream and Taking Selfies... Taliban 'Fake Propaganda' Left Unchecked on SNS

Taliban Uses SNS for Regime Propaganda
Claims 'Inclusive Government' but Reality Is a Past 'Government of Fear'
Experts Call for Sanctions on Taliban Expanding Legitimacy via SNS

An Afghan man is taking a photo with a Taliban member in Kabul, Afghanistan on the 19th. Photo by AP

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] The Islamic militant group Taliban, which has taken control of Afghanistan (Afghan), is promoting its regime through social networking services (SNS). They show a friendly image by sharing videos of themselves eating ice cream or taking photos surrounded by Afghan citizens. The background that allows the Taliban to conceal their brutal nature lies in the connection with SNS companies that permit their activities.

According to the American daily newspaper The New York Times, the Taliban operates over 100 accounts on platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter to promote their regime. The uploaded content consists entirely of videos, images, and slogans related to Taliban rule. They also claim themselves as legitimate rulers and assert that they have brought peace to Afghanistan.

However, the actual behavior shown by the Taliban is far from the scenes displayed on SNS. Earlier, on the 15th (local time), the Taliban declared the formation of an "inclusive government" upon entering Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. Unlike their previous rule, they emphasized respect for women's rights and an inclusive government, and even issued amnesty orders for those who cooperated with foreign companies.

On the 17th (local time), a Taliban member posted a photo of himself eating ice cream on social media (SNS). Photo by Twitter capture.

However, on the 19th, Afghanistan's Independence Day, gunfire was directed at protesters demonstrating for independence, resulting in casualties. There were also rumors that Taliban members shot women who went out without wearing the traditional burqa on the streets. Although the woman in the photo was later confirmed to have died during clashes between the Taliban and Afghan soldiers, the association with Taliban brutality left the Afghan people in fear.

As a result, Afghan citizens do not trust the Taliban's promises of change. While the Taliban present a soft and friendly image on SNS, there are claims that this is "fake propaganda" intended to conceal their harsh rule.

Stock photo of a woman wearing a burqa kneeling. Photo by Pixabay

The New York Times analyzed that the Taliban's focus on SNS propaganda is aimed at securing greater legitimacy. Since the international community has criticized the Taliban's violence, they are deliberately showing a friendly image through SNS to erase their brutal reputation.

In this situation, criticism is growing against SNS companies that allow the Taliban's "fake propaganda" to persist. YouTube, Facebook, and others have stated that they block accounts representing or praising the Taliban, but once content is uploaded, anyone can download or share it, making it difficult to stop Taliban propaganda.

There are also criticisms that their response differs from the blocking of former President Trump's posts. At that time, most SNS companies, including Twitter, blocked Trump's accounts, citing his words and actions during the U.S. Capitol attack.

Islamic militant Taliban soldiers who have taken control of Afghanistan are patrolling the Wazir Akbar Khan area of the capital Kabul on the 18th (local time) carrying US-made weapons such as M16 rifles. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Experts point out that allowing the Taliban's claims to remain on SNS is equivalent to broadcasting their assertions to the international community. It is criticized as an act that legitimizes the Taliban, who commit human rights abuses while externally promoting their regime.

Rita Katz of the Intelligence Group, a site monitoring online extremism, told the U.S. daily The Washington Post, "Unlike Trump, the Taliban have not crossed the line of policy violations," but added, "That does not mean the Taliban should be allowed to remain on social media. Taliban content is becoming bolder and fuels propaganda and messaging that spreads an extremely dangerous Islamic militant movement."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.