Twitter only restricts Taliban spokesperson's account; years after letting them gain legitimacy

Taliban's deputy minister of information and culture and spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid's Twitter account has been restricted citing "unusual activity."

At a time when social media giants such as Facebook and YouTube joined hands to Islamist group Taliban from using their respective platforms, Twitter went in the opposite direction. However, on Sunday, Twitter made its first move, albeit a small one, in the right direction. Taliban's deputy minister of information and culture and spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid's Twitter account was restricted citing "unusual activity" while still giving users the option to view the profile.

"Caution: This account is temporarily restricted. You're seeing this warning because there has been some unusual activity from this account," the Twitter warning read, further giving users an option if they "still want to view it?"

Taliban's spokesperson's account restricted amid Kabul mosque blast; seen as first strike

Mujahid's Twitter account has nearly 400,000 followers. The latest tweet from the account was an update on the bomb blast that rocked Kabul, leaving several civilians dead. Twitter's move might not come as a surprise, yet it is shocking to see that Twitter has only placed a temporary restriction when Taliban's atrocities are not a secret.

By allowing Taliban spokespersons on the platform, Twitter is giving an amplified voice to the terror group. There are hundreds and thousands of followers on each of the members' accounts, which haven't been verified by Twitter.

Blast in Kabul mosque

An explosion occurred near the gate of Eid Gah Mosque in Kabul on Sunday afternoon, said Mujahid. The explosion happened among a crowd of people and has caused casualties, Mujahid tweeted, as per Tolo News. However, he did not give any details about the type of explosion or the number of casualties.

Taliban spokesperson — Zabihullah MujahidImage---Twitter@ToloNews

The explosion happened during a prayer ceremony for Mujahid's mother, who had passed away a few days ago, which was ongoing at the mosque. The Ministry of Interior confirmed that five people were casualties -- either killed or wounded -- in the explosion, the report said.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Eyewitnesses said the explosion happened when a number of people entered the mosque to attend the memorial ceremony.