The Taliban in Afghanistan have imposed a nationwide shut down of telecommunications, weeks after they began severing fibre-optic internet connections to prevent what they call immorality. The country is currently experiencing a total connectivity blackout, internet watchdog, Netblocks reports.
International news agency AFP says it lost contact with its office in the capital Kabul, including mobile phone service. Mobile internet and satellite TV has also been severely disrupted across Afghanistan. Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed numerous restrictions in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.
Flights from Kabul airport have also been disrupted, according to reports. Several people in Kabul have told the BBC that their fibre-optic internet stopped working towards the end of the working day, around 17:00 local time (12:30 GMT). Because of this, it is understood many people will not notice the impact until Tuesday morning, when banking services and other businesses are due to resume.
Fibre-optic cables transfer data super fast, and are used for much of the world's internet. In a post on social network Mastodon, Netblocks stated: Afghanistan is now in the midst of a total internet blackout as Taliban authorities move to implement morality measures, with multiple networks disconnected through the morning in a stepwise manner; telephone services are currently also impacted.
For weeks, internet users in several Afghan provinces have reported slow internet access or total loss of connectivity. The Taliban earlier mentioned an alternative route for internet access, but did not provide details. Business leaders warned that continued internet bans could severely disrupt their activities.
Hamid Haidari, former editor-in-chief of Afghan news channel 1TV, expressed after the shutdown that loneliness enveloped the entire country, even noting that Afghanistan competes with North Korea for the title of most disconnected nation.
The blackout is yet another restriction enforced by the Taliban since returning to power, which has included policies that disproportionately impact women and girls, barring them from education beyond age 12. This ongoing imposition of strict rules fuels concern about human rights and freedom in the country.
International news agency AFP says it lost contact with its office in the capital Kabul, including mobile phone service. Mobile internet and satellite TV has also been severely disrupted across Afghanistan. Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed numerous restrictions in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.
Flights from Kabul airport have also been disrupted, according to reports. Several people in Kabul have told the BBC that their fibre-optic internet stopped working towards the end of the working day, around 17:00 local time (12:30 GMT). Because of this, it is understood many people will not notice the impact until Tuesday morning, when banking services and other businesses are due to resume.
Fibre-optic cables transfer data super fast, and are used for much of the world's internet. In a post on social network Mastodon, Netblocks stated: Afghanistan is now in the midst of a total internet blackout as Taliban authorities move to implement morality measures, with multiple networks disconnected through the morning in a stepwise manner; telephone services are currently also impacted.
For weeks, internet users in several Afghan provinces have reported slow internet access or total loss of connectivity. The Taliban earlier mentioned an alternative route for internet access, but did not provide details. Business leaders warned that continued internet bans could severely disrupt their activities.
Hamid Haidari, former editor-in-chief of Afghan news channel 1TV, expressed after the shutdown that loneliness enveloped the entire country, even noting that Afghanistan competes with North Korea for the title of most disconnected nation.
The blackout is yet another restriction enforced by the Taliban since returning to power, which has included policies that disproportionately impact women and girls, barring them from education beyond age 12. This ongoing imposition of strict rules fuels concern about human rights and freedom in the country.
