Facebook moves to protect Afghan users' accounts amid Taliban takeover

Facebook has brought in new safety measures for users worried for their safety in Afghanistan, as the Taliban continue to cement their grip on power.

The firm says it "removed the ability to view and search the 'Friends' list for Facebook accounts in Afghanistan" to protect people from being targeted.

Professional networking site LinkedIn has also taken steps by hiding the connections of anyone in the country.

There are concerns the Taliban are using social media to track opponents.

The additional safety measures were announced on Thursday by Facebook's head of security policy, Nathaniel Gleicher.

"We've launched a one-click tool for people in Afghanistan to quickly lock down their account. When their profile is locked, people who aren't their friends can't download or share their profile photo or see posts on their timeline," Mr Gleicher tweeted.