Wednesday, 01 October, 2025
The Taliban have ordered a shutdown of internet and mobile phone data services across Afghanistan, diplomatic and industry sources said on Tuesday, leaving residents virtually cut off from the outside world and disrupting flights, banking, and financial transactions.
The Taliban administration offered no explanation for the blackout and could not be reached for comment. The UN urged authorities to fully restore communications, warning that the outage “risks inflicting significant harm on the Afghan people.”
Internet access in Afghanistan has been reduced to around 1 per cent, according to NetBlocks, an international monitoring group. Connectivity was phased out on Monday, culminating in the shutdown of mobile telephone services, which share infrastructure with the internet.
Private broadcaster Tolo News reported that 3G and 4G services had been blocked, leaving only 2G available, and said banking and currency exchange operations were also affected.
An anonymous Afghan telecom official told reporters that providers were following Taliban directives and hoped services would resume “as soon as possible.” Residents described the situation as crippling. “People rely on technology to stay connected with the outside world,” said Shabeer, an internet worker. “No one knows about the condition of their relatives, and even within Afghanistan, we cannot communicate.”
The blackout comes amid multiple crises in Afghanistan, including the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in the east, returning refugees expelled from neighbouring countries, and a drought in the north. Arafat Jamal, the UN refugee agency’s country representative, said the outage had halted contact with frontline aid workers.
“It is another crisis on top of the existing crisis. It is utterly unnecessary and will directly affect the lives of Afghan people,” he said.
Taliban restrictions have grown increasingly severe in recent months. Authorities have barred women from many lines of employment, prevented girls from attending high school, and recently stopped female UN staff from entering offices. Activists warn that the internet blackout further undermines women’s ability to work remotely and earn a living.
“The Taliban are using every tool at their disposal to suppress the people,” said women’s rights campaigner Sanam Kabiri.
The move follows Taliban engagement with US officials, particularly over the detention of American citizens, one of whom was released on Sunday.
Critics say the internet shutdown appears part of a broader effort to tighten control over Afghan society, compounding the hardships of a population already facing severe economic and humanitarian challenges.
Comments
The Taliban have ordered a shutdown of internet and mobile phone data services across Afghanistan, diplomatic and industry sources said on Tuesday, leaving residents virtually cut off from the outside world and disrupting flights, banking, and financial transactions.
The Taliban administration offered no explanation for the blackout and could not be reached for comment. The UN urged authorities to fully restore communications, warning that the outage “risks inflicting significant harm on the Afghan people.”
Internet access in Afghanistan has been reduced to around 1 per cent, according to NetBlocks, an international monitoring group. Connectivity was phased out on Monday, culminating in the shutdown of mobile telephone services, which share infrastructure with the internet.
Private broadcaster Tolo News reported that 3G and 4G services had been blocked, leaving only 2G available, and said banking and currency exchange operations were also affected.
An anonymous Afghan telecom official told reporters that providers were following Taliban directives and hoped services would resume “as soon as possible.” Residents described the situation as crippling. “People rely on technology to stay connected with the outside world,” said Shabeer, an internet worker. “No one knows about the condition of their relatives, and even within Afghanistan, we cannot communicate.”
The blackout comes amid multiple crises in Afghanistan, including the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in the east, returning refugees expelled from neighbouring countries, and a drought in the north. Arafat Jamal, the UN refugee agency’s country representative, said the outage had halted contact with frontline aid workers.
“It is another crisis on top of the existing crisis. It is utterly unnecessary and will directly affect the lives of Afghan people,” he said.
Taliban restrictions have grown increasingly severe in recent months. Authorities have barred women from many lines of employment, prevented girls from attending high school, and recently stopped female UN staff from entering offices. Activists warn that the internet blackout further undermines women’s ability to work remotely and earn a living.
“The Taliban are using every tool at their disposal to suppress the people,” said women’s rights campaigner Sanam Kabiri.
The move follows Taliban engagement with US officials, particularly over the detention of American citizens, one of whom was released on Sunday.
Critics say the internet shutdown appears part of a broader effort to tighten control over Afghan society, compounding the hardships of a population already facing severe economic and humanitarian challenges.
Comments
