The Taliban has intensified its internet crackdown, triggering a nationwide connectivity blackout across Afghanistan.
Internet watchdog NetBlocks reported the country is now “in the midst of a total internet blackout” as Taliban authorities enforce new morality restrictions. Data showed just 14% of Afghans remained online on September 29, down sharply from 30% earlier the same day, underscoring the rapid pace of restrictions.
The blackout began almost two weeks ago in select provinces, with the Taliban gradually extending the cuts as part of a plan to ban fibre optic connectivity nationwide. A provincial spokesperson in Balkh - one of the first regions to lose access - said the measure was aimed at “preventing vice,” adding that alternative connectivity methods would be introduced.
Afghanistan’s 9,350km fibre network, now being sidelined, was largely built under the US-backed government prior to its collapse in 2021, when US and NATO forces withdrew and the Taliban seized power.
