After the Taliban ordered the shutdown of fiber-optic internet in several provinces, several journalists have said this move has made news coverage extremely difficult and nearly impossible to provide information. They add that if this situation continues, Afghanistan will sink into complete silence. These journalists emphasize that the restrictions not only disrupt their daily work but also threaten freedom of information and the people’s right to know. According to them, the Taliban have taken this measure to prevent the dissemination of content that contradicts their policies.
Some of these journalists told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that cutting high-speed internet imposes an unprecedented level of censorship and will undermine both journalistic work and the public’s right to access information. They warn that if this continues, widespread repression may begin across Afghanistan. In their view, the Taliban may further expand their oppression and weaken international monitoring more than ever before.
Abdullah (pseudonym), a journalist in Kabul, expressed concern over the fiber-optic internet shutdown in the country, calling it a blatant violation of freedom of expression and human rights. He believes the Taliban, unable to filter the internet, have resorted to cutting it off completely—a move that gravely disrupts the flow of information.
He added: “Currently, up to 90 percent of journalistic activity is carried out online; from preparing and writing reports to publication and distribution, everything depends on the internet. If the internet is disabled in Afghanistan, it will create serious crises, and under Taliban rule, the most critical of these will be a humanitarian crisis.”
Rahimullah Karimi, a journalist in Baghlan, said that over the past four years, the Taliban have focused largely on restrictions and pressure on the media, with no indication of supporting or strengthening freedom of expression. He added that the Taliban fear exposure of their crimes by journalists, which is why they have cut off internet access for the people.
Karimi considers this Taliban action a serious threat to the future of journalism in Afghanistan and the silencing of the people’s voice. He added, “They say if you are innocent, you should not fear the king. So if they [the Taliban] have nothing to fear, why are they afraid of the media, the internet, personal freedoms, and professional freedoms? While the world prepares to settle on Mars and conducts experiments, we are still entangled in endless debates over whether the internet is right or wrong. Other countries, if they have restrictions, create alternatives and equivalents, and have the scientific knowledge and expertise in information technology. But what do we have?”
Fereshta, another journalist, said the shutdown has endangered her professional future. She stressed that at a time when the media already face censorship and severe restrictions, cutting internet access effectively makes it impossible for journalists to continue their professional work. From her perspective, the Taliban fear independent foreign media and the educated generation of society. For this reason, she said, they have cut internet access because they cannot control it. According to her, the Taliban seek to use loyal local journalists to whitewash their image for the outside world, while hiding the realities of their oppression and tyranny from the global community.
She added, “When the internet was cheap and accessible, many facts and Taliban crimes were exposed through the media. Now that they have failed to control it, they have decided to shut it down entirely for the people. Cutting internet access severely restricts freedom of expression.”
Meanwhile, some media-support organizations have warned that the Taliban’s internet shutdown has gravely disrupted the flow of information both domestically and internationally, depriving citizens of their fundamental right to free access to information. These organizations call the Taliban’s move in the 21st century a catastrophe and stress that the decision runs counter to human rights principles and international law.
Hamed Ubaidi, head of the Afghanistan Media Support Organization (AMSO), said that limiting or cutting internet access would hurt media operations, especially citizen journalism. He added, “The internet plays a vital role in the circulation of information; without it, how would access to information be possible? In a country like Afghanistan, where an authoritarian system is in place and free flow of information is already severely restricted, the only tool to fill this gap is the internet and social media—tools that allow citizens not to remain silent and to make their voices heard around the world.”
Mujib Khalwatgar, head of “Nai in exile”, said that the internet shutdown in Afghanistan has disrupted documentation of crimes, events, and widespread human rights violations. He warned, “This Taliban action is like drawing a thick curtain over the crimes being committed against the people of Afghanistan. Neither ordinary people nor human rights organizations can record and document human rights abuses. I believe this situation could be extremely dangerous, because it increases the pressure on the people of Afghanistan and gives the Taliban greater freedom to commit violence and trample on people’s rights.”
At the same time, some media activists said that the shutdown has had a direct impact on journalists’ work, severely restricting their access to information. From their perspective, cutting fiber-optic high-speed internet in Afghanistan is a clear attempt to censor and control the free flow of information.
Farhad Fakhri, a media activist and technology expert, said: “There are solutions to bypass these restrictions; journalists can use satellite internet such as Starlink to overcome some of these obstacles. However, if the current trend continues, even local communications will be disrupted, and journalists will not be able to gather accurate information. The information that does become available will be heavily censored. Projects such as NetChain, developed by Afghan youth, are also moving forward to enable free access to the internet—because no country has yet succeeded in fully controlling it.”
Khadija Amin, a journalist and board member of Reporters Without Borders Spain, said the Taliban are trying to systematically control the media and eliminate freedom of expression by cutting internet access.
She added: “As a board member of Reporters Without Borders, I consider the internet shutdown a blatant violation of human rights, because with this measure there will be no access to information and raw data on events in Afghanistan. If this situation continues, serious action must be taken, because this is neither acceptable nor credible.”
Previously, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) described the Taliban’s decision to cut high-speed internet in several provinces as an “unprecedented increase in censorship” and called for the unconditional restoration of access.
Amid widespread reactions, the Human Rights Activists’ Union condemned the Taliban’s decision to cut fiber-optic internet in Afghanistan, calling it a “direct attack on people’s fundamental rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and connection with the world.”
The Taliban began the shutdown of fiber-optic internet last week in Balkh province, and the measure has now spread across most provinces in the country. The group has claimed that the purpose of this action is to prevent “immorality.”
Recently, the filtering of social media platforms in Nepal triggered a strong backlash from young people in that country. Public anger escalated to the point where protesters set fire to parliament, ultimately leading to the collapse of the government.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
