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.
He said that on Facebook-owned Instagram "we're rolling
out pop-up alerts in Afghanistan with specific steps on how to protect your
account".
Mr Gleicher added that Facebook was "working closely
with our counterparts in industry, civil society and government to provide
whatever support we can to help protect people".
Earlier, the tech giant confirmed it would continue to ban
Taliban content from its platforms as it considers the group to be a terrorist
organisation.
Meanwhile, Twitter said in a statement this week that its
"top priority is keeping people safe, and we remain vigilant".
"The situation in Afghanistan is rapidly evolving.
We're also witnessing people in the country using Twitter to seek help and
assistance."
Twitter has come under scrutiny for its handling of
Taliban-related content.
Taliban spokesmen used the platform to update their hundreds
of thousands of followers, as the militant group retook control of Afghanistan.
In response to BBC questions earlier this week about the
Taliban's use of Twitter, a company spokesperson highlighted policies against
violent organisations and hateful conduct.
According to its rules, Twitter does not allow groups that
promote terrorism or violence against civilians.
In a statement emailed to the BBC, a LinkedIn company
spokesperson said: "Our team is closely monitoring conversations about
developments in Afghanistan and taking action on any content that doesn't
follow our professional community policies.
"We've also taken some temporary measures including
limiting the visibility of connections for our members in the country."
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