Google blocks Afghan government accounts as Taliban seek access: Report

By Team Newsable | First Published Sep 4, 2021, 10:48 AM IST

Since the Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan from a US-backed government, reports have stated how the new rulers may utilise biometric and Afghan payroll systems to seek out opponents.

According to a source familiar with the situation, Google has temporarily blocked an undetermined number of Afghan government email accounts as concerns rise over the digital paper trail left by previous officials and their international allies. Since the Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan from a US-backed government, reports have stated how the new rulers may utilise biometric and Afghan payroll systems to seek out opponents.

Alphabet's Google stopped short of admitting that Afghan government accounts were being shut down in a statement issued on Friday, instead stating that the company was watching the situation in Afghanistan and took temporary measures to safeguard essential accounts. According to one former government employee, the Taliban are attempting to obtain the emails of former officials.

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Late last month, the employee stated that the Taliban had ordered him to keep the data stored on the ministry's systems for which he previously worked. The employee stated that he refused to cooperate and has since gone into hiding. Out of concern for the man's safety, Reuters did not name him or his previous government.

Afghan government agencies, including the ministries of finance, industry, higher education, and mining, used Google's servers to process official communications. According to the documents, Afghanistan's presidential protocol office and several local government entities used Google. Controlling government databases and emails may offer former administration workers, ex-ministers, government contractors, tribal friends, and foreign partners.

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According to mail exchanger records, numerous Afghan government institutions, including the ministry of foreign affairs and the president, used Microsoft Corp's email services. However, it is unclear what, if any, precautions the software company is doing to prevent data from slipping into the hands of the Taliban. Microsoft, on the other hand, declined to comment.

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