Afghanistan Taliban Extend Crackdown On Internet Access
Afghanistan's Taliban authorities expanded their crackdown on internet access Wednesday, severing fibre optic connections in multiple provinces in what officials said was a campaign against "vice".
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Taliban leadership has prohibited fibre optic internet in an Afghan province citing moral concerns (File Photo)
Afghanistan:
Afghanistan's Taliban government intensified their restrictions on internet services Wednesday, cutting off fibre optic connections across multiple provinces as part of what officials described as an anti-vice campaign.
This directive, issued by Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, has effectively disabled high-speed internet access throughout several regions over a two-day period, leaving tens of thousands without connectivity and generating anxiety among residents.
In the northern province of Balkh, authorities implemented a complete ban on fibre optic internet under the leader's command, according to provincial spokesperson Attaullah Zaid's Tuesday announcement.
"This action was implemented to combat immorality, and alternative connectivity solutions will be established nationwide to address communication requirements," he stated on X.
An AFP journalist verified that internet access in Balkh is now only available through the telephone network, which experiences disruptions affecting all service providers.
AFP correspondents documented identical restrictions in the northern provinces of Badakhshan and Takhar, as well as in the southern regions of Kandahar, Helmand, Nangarhar, and Uruzgan.
Government representatives and telecommunications ministry officials did not immediately respond to AFP's inquiries for clarification.
Fibre optic technology represents the most commonly utilized internet infrastructure in Afghanistan, according to an employee of a private operator in Kabul who spoke to AFP anonymously, adding that he was uncertain about the rationale behind the decision.
"If these connectivity issues remain unresolved, we will incur significant financial damages," explained Atta Mohammed, a marble business operator in Kandahar.
"Without timely responses to emails from our clients in Dubai and India, our business operations cannot continue. I haven't managed to sleep at all."
Nangarhar province spokesperson Qureshi Badloun indicated he anticipates nationwide implementation "in the coming days".
"Recent studies conducted within Afghanistan demonstrate that online applications have adversely impacted society's economic, social, cultural, and religious foundations, leading toward moral degradation," Badloun declared in a statement released Tuesday.
In 2024, Kabul had promoted the 9,350-kilometer fibre optic network – largely constructed by former US-supported administrations – as a "priority" to connect the country with the international community and alleviate poverty.
Since reclaiming power in 2021, the Taliban have implemented numerous restrictions aligned with their interpretation of Islamic law.