Since the Taliban assumed control of Afghanistan in August 2021, there has been a proliferation of online accounts that mimic or attempt to impersonate media outlets. According to findings by researchers from the nonprofit organization Afghan Witness, these accounts disseminate false information and aim to suppress opposition groups and independent media in Afghanistan. However, upon closer examination, it becomes evident that these fraudulent accounts share content that is seemingly genuine, often employing the identical visual signature and style of legitimate media outlets.
The media portrays itself as a fabricated Twitter account, around which their analysis revolves. Many of these fabricated accounts and the information they aim to disseminate were recorded and confirmed by Afghan Witness researchers, a human rights initiative committed to documenting and verifying incidents in Afghanistan, starting from December 2022.
‘It will erode trust in the opposition movement’
Tom Stubbs, Senior Analyst for Information Operations at Afghan Witness, told the FRANCE 24 Observers more.Output: Tom Stubbs, Senior
The content revolves around denigrating both Afghan International and opposition within Afghanistan. And a lot of the stories they were sharing weren’t backed up in any other media. Normally, when you have a news story from Afghanistan International or other news agencies, we can actually follow that up and we can understand the nature of what they’re saying is true. But what this fake account was doing was just made up.
The @AF_Inter5 account’s posts often extol the Taliban’s impact on Afghanistan, after the group reclaimed control of the country in August 2021.
According to a video published on March 1 and viewed more than 57,000 times, Khoshal Sadat, the ex-Deputy Interior Minister for Security of the Republic of Afghanistan and the former highest-ranking military commander, asserted that spying, patriotism, and rebellion, along with the downfall of the Republic, were all true.
However, there are no additional records of this assertion in English, Persian, or Pashto-language media. Furthermore, the image that was posted prior to the Taliban seizing power in the nation remains unverified.
The NRF, which represents the primary organized opposition to Taliban authority, is also weakened by these posts.
The leader of the NRF, Massoud Ahmad, informed The New York Times that his organization has close relations with the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), which is an active part of the Islamic State. It is claimed that this tweet has been viewed more than 20,000 times.
However, Massoud has never been interviewed by the New York Times, nor has he claimed that ISKP, a UN-designated terrorist organization, serves as a legitimate resistance movement fighting for democracy in Afghanistan or has a good relationship with the NRF.
The commander of the NRF claimed that despite having no evidence of other visits, he had visited Israel to discuss bilateral goals.
Stubbs clarified how this material mirrors typical Taliban talking points.
It will erode trust in the opposition movement because if people are believing what this fake account is saying about the opposition movement, they’ll believe that [the NRF] is dealing with Afghanistan’s enemies and people who want to destroy Afghanistan, that they’re dealing with the Islamic State. It really degrades people’s opinion of the NRF.
This media outlet claims to provide impartial and balanced news about Afghanistan for all Afghans, including voices from across the social, political, and business sectors both inside and outside of Afghanistan. However, the content shared by this outlet also varies significantly in the narratives it presents, which is shared by the real Afghanistan internationally.
The Taliban took control of Afghanistan when International Iran, the parent company of its funding company, was criticized for its alleged ties to Saudi Arabia. However, International Afghanistan, a UK-based media outlet and broadcaster, denies these claims, stating that its funding comes solely from its parent company.
Although the fake account had only 6,500 followers at the time of writing, it received over 50,000 shares, comments, and views on its posts occasionally.
An inadequately duplicated fraudulent profile
Various distinct signs were noticeable on its page, due to the fact that the account was fraudulent. The Afghan Witness team commenced the analysis of its content and posting patterns after observing the popularity that @AF_Inter5 gained on the internet.
Following the Taliban’s assumption of control over the nation, the account was established in November 2021, after several months. It is worth mentioning that the fake account bio and email address utilize a Gmail address instead of “@Afintl.Com” address – a distinct bio and email address. Unlike accounts that are verified through Twitter Blue, this particular account has not obtained verification on Twitter initially.
On the authentic account, there have been 34,230 tweets compared to 236 tweets on the fraudulent account, which has also published significantly fewer times than the genuine Afghanistan International account.
Ultimately, the fraudulent account’s cover photo exhibits a CNN newsroom, while the genuine account showcases an Afghanistan International graphic paired with text.
The account’s tweets appear highly convincing with a logo and modified text on a photo. They adhere to the identical graphical layout as the legitimate Afghanistan International’s breaking news tweets, having mentioned that.
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According to the tool, @AF_Inter5 is not a 24/7 channel as it asserts, as it tends to post during Afghanistan time from 6:30 am to 8:30 pm. This tool enables you to view statistical information regarding a Twitter account’s posting habits.
All of @AF_Inter5’s posts that were published could indicate that it is operated by one person or a group of people who are sympathetic to the Taliban. On the other hand, the actual Afghan International account, which is more representative of a social media platform managed by multiple staff members, is managed by several staff members.
When contacted by the FRANCE 24 Observers team, the media outlet Afghanistan International confirmed that they have no affiliation with the @AF_Inter5 account and have been attempting to remove it for a while without success.
‘The Taliban are trying to change the media environment in Afghanistan into a Taliban promotion machine’
Nonetheless, Stubbs, an Afghan witness, says that the important aspects of the Taliban’s online campaign propaganda typifies several accounts; however, there is no indication that @AF_Inter5’s postings are a part of it.
We’re seeing that the Taliban are labelling Afghanistan International as fake news when they publish stories that criticise the Taliban. And they are incredibly quick to jump on news stories that they feel are unfair. And so having these fake accounts really chimes into the wider information operation that the Taliban is trying to create – they’re trying to erode trust away from independent news sources.
The information environment within the country is being eroded at such a massive rate. The official news sources that people can trust are diminishing. So it just means that there’s going to be one less source that people can look for. The Taliban are trying to change the media environment in Afghanistan into a Taliban promotion machine rather than a free and independent media, as was prior to August 2021. What we’re seeing is effectively a revolutionary movement trying to rapidly erode a free media environment in a way that’s never really done in the world before. Quite often restrictions on the press are gradual, but what the Taliban are doing is incredibly rapid.
The Taliban, and numerous individuals opine that they played a pivotal role in assisting the group in reestablishing authority over Afghan land, are engaged in online propaganda campaigns.