The Taliban government has shut down internet access across the country, weeks after fibre-optic services were disrupted in what the authorities describe as a move to curb “immorality.”
The country is now experiencing a full-scale blackout, according to watchdog NetBlocks. News agency AFP also reported it had lost contact with its Kabul bureau, even by telephone.
Since returning to power in 2021, following the withdrawal of US troops, the Taliban have reimposed strict restrictions based on their interpretation of Sharia law.
Residents in Kabul told the BBC that fibre-optic connections were cut around 5 p.m. local time.
NetBlocks said in a post on Mastodon: “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.“
For weeks, Afghans across the country had complained of slowed connections and frequent outages. The Taliban said a new form of internet access will eventually be introduced but gave no further details.
