Facebook and Instagram put a stop to it: Taliban cannot search through friend lists. Your own account can also be blocked more easily.
Facebook's head of security policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, said in several tweets on Twitter that to protect users, Facebook accounts in Afghanistan will no longer be able to view and search friend lists. Instagram accounts can also be blocked more easily.
This is what Gleicher wrote on Twitter:
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Over the past week, our teams have been working around the clock to do everything we can to keep people safe. While we need to be careful to avoid malicious actors coming into the picture, here are some security measures we have put in place for people in the country to protect their accounts.
Many of them were influenced by feedback from activists, journalists and civil society groups. I also include links to some useful online safety guides for journalists and activists from civil society experts.
We launched a tool for people in Afghanistan to suspend their account with one click. If your profile is locked, people who are not your friends will not be able to download or share your profile photo or see posts on your timeline.
On Instagram, we will be rolling out pop-up alerts in Afghanistan with specific steps to protect your account.
We've also temporarily removed the ability to view and search the friends list of Facebook accounts in Afghanistan to protect people from attacks.
If you are outside Afghanistan but perhaps have friends in the country, you can protect them by tightening your own visibility settings by following the instructions here: https://www.facebook.com/help/115450405225661
Tips for journalists and activists
It is important for journalists and activists in Afghanistan (or other high-risk environments) to know that Facebook is just one part of the online environment. That's why I'd like to share some CSO guides for protecting online accounts more broadly:
CPJ Tech Program: Twitter account , Notes for Journalists in Arabic , PDF file and Notes for Journalists in English , PDF file
Security in a Box is another excellent program developed Front Line Defenders and Tactical Tech Here in English and in Arabic .
GlobalCyberAlliance also has a useful cybersecurity toolkit for journalists: GCA Cybersecurity Toolkit For Journalists
We work closely with our partners in industry, civil society and government to keep people as safe as possible.
And we have established a dedicated operations center to respond to new threats as they emerge. We know that in crises like this, no single step is enough, but we are closely monitoring how the situation develops and will take action to keep people safe in real time.
Nathaniel Gleicher also points to another source that explains how people in Afghanistan can protect themselves online:
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Article image: Twitter Screenshot @ngleicher
Source: Twitter
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An Afghan security force was killed in clashes between Afghan security forces and German and US soldiers with unknown attackers at the north gate of Kabul airport. According to the Bundeswehr, three others were injured. All Bundeswehr soldiers remained uninjured.
Notes:
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