Google takes down Taliban app from Play Store

Picture Courtesy: Bloomberg

Taliban, in an attempt to boost its global visibility, launched an app on the Google Play store on Friday.

With their new app, they wanted to reach out to a more tech-savvy audience to spread their propaganda. Their new app, titled ‘Alemarah’, contained propaganda messages and videos in the native Pashto language.

Within hours of launch, Google took the app down from the Play Store, and also issued a statement confirming the same.

In the not so distant past, the Islamist fundamentalist group made it illegal to take a picture of a living person or own a video player. But with internet savvy IS gaining momentum in Afghanistan, Taliban has denounced their old ways and adopted technology to reach a wider audience.

Taliban already has a website and active social media presence, thanks to its digital PR team.