In the latest turn of events, the Afghanistan Taliban have endorsed Twitter as a better social media platform than threads. Recently, Anas Haqqani, a Taliban thought leader, endorsed Twitter and termed it the best social media platform above other platforms owned by Mark Zuckerberg.
The main topic of discussion was Threads. The speaker mentioned that Threads are similar to other Meta platforms in that they do not allow support for the Taliban.
The Taliban has been prohibited from using any social media platform under the Meta company. Accounts that express support for the Taliban on Meta-owned platforms are frequently banned.
However, the Taliban thought leader, Anas Haqqani, who has family connections with the formal leaders of the Taliban, has voiced his support for Twitter for allowing their activities on the platform.
In his statement, Anas Haqqani expressed that Twitter has two key advantages over other social media platforms. He explained that one of these advantages is the freedom of speech that Twitter allows, which is not always the case with other platforms.
According to Anas, the Taliban has been able to establish a presence on Twitter since Elon Musk became the owner, even resulting in an increase in Taliban-like tweets. This was not the case when the platform was under previous leadership. Anas also emphasized that Twitter's credibility and authenticity make it a trusted source of reliable information. Although Threads may be a rival, Twitter's reputation as a reliable news source gives it an advantage.
"Twitter has two important advantages over other social media platforms. The first privilege is the freedom of speech. The second privilege is the public nature & credibility of Twitter. Twitter doesn't have an intolerant policy like Meta. Other platforms cannot replace it," Anas Haqqani said in an English post on Twitter.
Twitter has two important advantages over other social media platforms.
— Anas Haqqani(انس حقاني) (@AnasHaqqani313) July 10, 2023
The first privilege is the freedom of speech. The second privilege is the public nature & credibility of Twitter. Twitter doesn't have an intolerant policy like Meta. Other platforms cannot replace it. pic.twitter.com/oYQTI3hgfI
Heightened Taliban Activity After Elon Musk Twitter Takeover
Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, the Taliban footprint on the platform has increased dramatically. The increase in Taliban tweets and activity can be traced to many factors before Elon Musk Twitter takeover.
When Elon Musk took over as the owner of Twitter, the Tesla billionaire fell out of favor with many brands and high-ranking individuals. One of the changes the billionaire made immediately after taking over the platform's leadership was to introduce a new version of verification marks and reduce the intolerant Twitter moderation policies. He even unbanned the accounts of high-ranking individuals like Donald Trump, who was banned on the platform.
Actions brought a new version of Twitter where anyone, no matter their influence in society, could get verification on the platform, so long as they paid. It also made people use certain words which weren't allowed on the platform. Big brands and individuals started leaving Twitter, as many said it was quite uncomfortable.
On the other hand, it was the perfect opportunity for the Talibans, who could now create accounts and post on the platform without getting banned.
Taliban Endorsement of Twitter Sparks Outrage
Not many people are happy about the recent endorsement coming from the Taliban about Twitter. Aram Shabanian, an OSINT manager at New Lines Institute, told Motherboard that the Taliban endorsement was atrocious.
"Zuckerberg is clearly the Mullah Omar of this situation. You may not like him, but at least you know what you're getting. And it's uniform across platforms and districts. Unlike going with Musk, who represents a lawless, profit-driven society. Musk is all balls, no shaft, as the ancient Armenian proverb goes," Aram Shabanian said.