The Taliban has imposed the first internet blackout in Afghanistan since returning to power four years ago. Officials announced the blackout—affecting at least six provinces in the north of the country—on Wednesday, citing the need to "prevent immoral activities," per the AP. The affected regions—Badakhshan, Baghlan, Balkh, Kunduz, Nangarhar, and Takhar—encompass some of the largest population centers in the north. Fiber optic connections have been cut for offices, homes, and businesses, though mobile data remains available for now. Officials vowed to provide some access for essential needs, per Reuters.
Though officials didn't elaborate on what "immoral activities" they hoped to prevent, the Taliban previously complained about pornography and online encounters between men and women. However, if that's the true concern, former US Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad tells Reuters it would make more sense for the Taliban to filter out pornography, rather than cut all fiber-optic internet access. The Afghanistan Media Support Organization said the move "disrupts millions of citizens' access to free information" and "poses a grave threat to freedom of expression," per the AP.
Rights organizations and foreign governments have routinely denounced the Taliban's restrictions on personal freedoms, particularly those impacting expression and women. The group has taken steps to limit women's rights, including blocking girls from secondary school and curtailing employment opportunities for women in most sectors. The group also formalized a wide-ranging morality code last year, requiring women to veil, men to grow beards, and banning music in cars. The Taliban also prohibits contact between unrelated men and women, which hindered the response to a deadly quake.
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