YouTube says it does not allow Taliban-affiliated accounts

FILE PHOTO: Silhouettes of laptop and mobile device users are seen next to a screen projection of the YouTube logo in this picture illustration taken March 28, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

(Reuters) -Alphabet Inc’s YouTube said on Tuesday it has a long held policy of not allowing accounts believed to be operated by the Taliban on its site, as social media companies faced questions about how they would handle the group that fast gained control of Afghanistan.

The Taliban's return to power for the first time in 20 years has raised fears of a crackdown on freedom of speech and human rights, especially women's rights, and concerns that the country could again become a hotspot for global terrorism.