Taliban shuts down internet in Afghanistan as part of larger 'morality measures' campaign

The Taliban shut down the internet across Afghanistan, as part of the ruling party's "morality measures" effort.

CBS News confirmed Monday that internet links have been cut nationwide, after the French news agency AFP reported that the Taliban began to restrict internet service earlier this month, shutting down high-speed connections in several regions across the country.

"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," the cybersecurity and internet governance watchdog Netblocks posted on X on Monday.

While Taliban leadership has not publicly commented on the blackout, Haji Zahid, a local Taliban spokesperson in the northern province of Balkh, said in a post on X on Friday that the ban had been ordered by their leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, "to prevent immoral activities."

Afghan television channel TOLO said Monday that its broadcast had been disrupted by the communications crackdown and that mobile phone internet services have been shut down. The channel cited sources within the Taliban that indicated mobile services could soon be restored, but with a lower-capacity 2G signal.

The communications blackout comes as the Taliban has restricted the rights of women and girls, detained journalists, and cracked down on public dissent since retaking power in 2021. Also, Afghanistan is suffering from a humanitarian crisis, according to Human Rights Watch, as donor governments cut aid, and 1.9 million refugees expelled from Iran and Pakistan return. The country is also recovering from an earthquake earlier this month that killed nearly 3,000 people.