Google Axe Taliban Propaganda App From Play Store
Search engine giant, Google has axed a Taliban propaganda app from its Play Store, few days after the app was created.
The app named Almerah had contents in Pashto language and included videos and official statements from the extremist group.
According to an Afghanistan based analyst, Jawid Kohistani, the app could help Taliban to psychologically weaken Afghanistan through their propaganda reports.
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Confirming the removal of the app, a google spokesperson said: “While we do not comment on specific apps, we can confirm that our policies are designed to provide a great experience for users and developers. That is why we remove apps from Google Play that violate those policies.”
There are more than 2 million Android apps on Google’s Play Store, according to figures from AppBrain, with half a million added in the last year.
The Taliban has recently rejected the opportunity for fresh peace talks between representatives of Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the US.
A spokesman for the insurgent group told Bloomberg it “is part of our advanced technological efforts to make more global audience”, but blamed technical glitch for the disappearance of its app.
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Google’s developer policy for the Play Store prohibits apps that promote hate speech, violence and illegal activities, last year the company removed several apps with Confederate flag imagery.
Last month, Google took down Smesh app for spying on Indian Army.
Twitter and encrypted messaging app Telegram last year removed accounts of terrorist group, ISIS, for violating their terms and conditions.
