One year on: Misinformation about the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan

Since August 15, 2021, many myths about the Taliban coming to power in Afghanistan have been circulating on social networks. © Observers

One year ago, on August 15, 2021, the Afghan capital of Kabul was surrounded and then captured by the Taliban. As the world watched the takeover unfold, numerous examples of misinformation began circulating online. The FRANCE 24 Observers followed the fake news trail: debunking posts that critiqued the American withdrawal, supported Afghanistan’s new leaders or denounced the violence that accompanied Taliban rule.

Just over a month after the official announcement that the US army would withdraw from Afghanistan, the Taliban took over the city of Kabul on August 15, 2021, securing its power over Afghanistan. Online, this event was accompanied by a wave of false information.