Taliban Block Internet In Northern Afghanistan

JAKARTA - The Taliban government announced an internet ban in most parts of northern Afghanistan to prevent immoral activity.

The Taliban previously voiced concern over pornography and relations between men and women in cyberspace.

The internet ban is the first since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, although the Taliban have also announced a number of other measures including stopping girls from attending high school and stopping women from working in various fields.

The ban will include five provinces' Kunduz, Badakhshan, Baghlan, Takhar, and Balkh' in the northern region of the country, covering population centers in the region.

This restriction is limited to all internet connections via fiber optic cables. However, internet access via cellular data will remain available.

All connections have been cut, according to statements from the provinces.

"This step has been taken to prevent immoral activity," the Taliban said in a statement.

The disconnection of this fiber optic network leaves the office, home, and other businesses without an internet connection.

Meanwhile, former US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, said the ban was absurd.

"If pornography is really a concern, such as in many Islamic countries, pornography can be easily screened. Many countries in the Islamic world do exactly that," he said.

The Taliban officially passed a series of long rules governing morality late last year, ranging from requiring women to cover faces and men to grow beards to prohibit car drivers from playing music.

Taliban restrictions on women and freedom of expression have drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups and many foreign governments.