Google Tales Down Alemarah App From Play Store

Google removed a Taliban-developed online app to restrict the activities of Taliban and their communications

Google finally got rid of an online app developed by Taliban, named Alemarah, for Android smartphones, for the militant group across the world. On April 1, the United States based SITE Intel Group reported the launch of the app.

Bloomberg reported that the SITE Intel Group monitors jihadist social networks. The Pashto language application includes contents like official statements and videos released by Taliban, which is a militant group waging jihad in Afghanistan for over 14 years following its oust in 2001.

The militant organization was ousted with help provided by the US. On April 3, 2016, spokeswoman of Google confirmed that the application is removed from the Play Store. The app was part of the digital campaign of the movement to lure larger audience across the world. 

The terrorist organization runs an updated website in five languages, including Arabic and English. Furthermore, Facebook and Twitter accounts offer daily updates regarding its insurgency. Twitter accounts and the website of the movement have been removed many times as the Government of Afghanistan tries to prevent the communications efforts of the militant organization.

Social media networks have been facing criticism for not acting in that manner to stop militant groups like the Islamic State and Taliban from using their websites to raise funds and recruit members. The spokesmen of the Afghan Islamic fundamentalist organization did not respond to calls to their cellular phones. 

A spokesman of the Afghan interior ministry, Sediq Sediqqi, told on phone that he was not aware of the terrorist organization’s app. According to reports by Guardian, Taliban’s spokesperson runs a Twitter handle. The tweets are normally announcements of the activities of the outfit. After finding out the app was initially in Pashto, militant Islamism researcher from European University Institute spoke to the audience that the targeted audience might have been Pashtun speakers of Afghanistan.

Taliban has continued to be active across the web, particularly through its webpage, featuring statements, videos, interviews, weekly analyses, and news. ISIS is famous for proficiently using its digital platforms, and loyal fighters have recently emerged in areas of east Afghanistan where they have even launched a radio station.

In late 2015, ISIS developed an Android app to protect its communications outside popular social platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook. A reporter of Bloomberg said the ISIS-developed app had been removed ostensibly because of “technical issues”, and would soon be fixed.

The app is removed in the aftermath of a report by CNBC that the US government has asked Google to crack phones for helping them investigate drug cases; so it could be said that the anti-militant action indicates that the company is interested in cooperating with the authorities.