Taliban bans Wi-Fi in an Afghan province to ‘prevent immorality’

The Taliban have periodically suspended mobile phone networks in parts of the country during religious festivals, typically citing security concerns and the risk of militants detonating explosive devices remotely.

New DelhiSeptember 16, 2025 08:59 PM IST First published on: Sep 16, 2025 at 08:31 PM IST

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The move, announced Tuesday, is the first ban of its kind since the Taliban seized power in August 2021. (File Photo)

The Taliban leadership has imposed a ban on fibre optic internet in northern Afghanistan’s Balkh province, cutting off homes, businesses, and government offices from WiFi access. The move, announced Tuesday, is the first ban of its kind since the Taliban seized power in August 2021.

Mobile internet remains functional, but all cable connections have been disabled by order of Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Provincial spokesman Haji Attaullah Zaid said the “complete ban” was aimed at preventing immorality. “An alternative will be built within the country for necessities,” he told the Associated Press, without clarifying why Balkh was singled out or whether the restriction would extend nationwide.

The Taliban have periodically suspended mobile phone networks in parts of the country during religious festivals, typically citing security concerns and the risk of militants detonating explosive devices remotely. However, a sweeping ban on broadband internet marks a significant escalation in the group’s efforts to control information and enforce its interpretation of Islamic values.

The internet shutdown comes against the backdrop of a broader crackdown on entertainment, culture, and personal freedoms under Taliban rule.

Recent years have seen bans on:

Chess: Outlawed as “un-Islamic.”

Video games, foreign films, and music: Restricted for being anti-Islamic, particularly in cities like Herat.

Women’s education: Girls are barred from studying beyond primary school, a policy condemned by the UN Security Council.

Windows overlooking women’s spaces: Banned in construction to prevent “obscene acts.”

Women’s voices in public: Restricted, along with bans on women participating in sports, using public parks, and travelling without male guardians.

Media publishing images of living beings: Reinstating rules first imposed during the Taliban’s 1996–2001 regime.

Contraceptives: Sales banned in major cities, branded a “Western conspiracy.”

Women’s salons: Shut down nationwide, intensifying gender-based restrictions.

Shaving of beards: Male grooming laws enforced, with beardless government employees barred from work.

Since returning to power, the Taliban have steadily rolled back civil liberties, particularly for women, while consolidating control over public life, education, and information flows. Rights groups warn that such restrictions are entrenching Afghanistan’s isolation and worsening an already dire humanitarian situation.