Rights activists condemn the move
- The Taliban in Afghanistan have announced plans to restrict or completely block access to Facebook, a move condemned by rights activists. The Taliban’s acting minister of telecommunications and information technology Najibullah Haqqani confirmed the plans in an interview with Kabul-based TOLO News last week.
Reeling from two decades of siege and war, millions of people in Afghanistan have limited access to cellular services and internet connection in a widening information blackout. The authorities have already banned education and work for girls and women, formal education institutions, entertainment through music, salon and grooming services, and the presence of women in national parks, public spaces and parks. The decision to restrict or block Facebook in Afghanistan will be a “further blow to freedom of information” in the war-battered country, the CPJ said. It also pointed to detention of journalists in Afghanistan, closure of Afghan news websites and the restricting of access to foreign media outlets. CPJ’s Asia programme coordinator Beh Lih Yi condemned the latest plan by the Taliban’s caretaker regime. “Social media platforms, including Facebook, have helped to fill a void left by the decline of the Afghan media industry since the Taliban’s August 2021 takeover and the ensuing crackdown on press freedom.The CPJ pointed out that Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms in Afghanistan for disseminating news and information in the country.Just a day after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 after the fall of Kabul, Facebook had said it would continue to ban Taliban content from its platforms, calling the group a terrorist organisation.Switzerland will host a Ukraine peace conference in June and hopes Russia can join one dayIsrael and UN disagree over Gaza aid figuresJudges' letter: Justice Yahya Afridi recuses from suo moto caseThe losing battle against Greece's tumbling birthrate
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Threads Now Offers Trending Topics Access to Users in the USThreads, the messaging app by Facebook, has introduced a new feature that allows users in the United States to access trending topics.
Read more »
Spotify to raise prices of plans in some markets including PakistanIndividual plans will go up by about $1 a month, while family plans by $2
Read more »
Reclusive Taliban leader releases Eid message urging officials to set aside their differencesAkhundzada said Taliban should “live a brotherly life, avoid disagreements and selfishness
Read more »
Punjab CM Maryam launchesVowed to make equitable access to healthcare
Read more »
Synchron, a rival to Musk's Neuralink, readies large-scale brain implant trialIt plans to launch an online registry for patients interested in joining the process
Read more »
Many cancer drugs remain unproven five years after accelerated approvalThe programme was created in 1992 to speed access to HIV drugs
Read more »