KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban authorities have banned smartphones for teachers, education department employees, and students in Maidan Wardak province, expanding restrictions on mobile phone use across the public sector and education system.
The restriction, set to take effect on June 17 with the beginning of the new Islamic lunar year, prohibits the use of smartphones both during and outside official working hours, according to local sources and an audio message obtained by KabulNow.
In the recording sent to school administrators across the province, a Taliban official said, “As you have heard, the use of smartphones has been banned. This information is true.” He added that the decision was endorsed during a meeting with local authorities and warned that any employee found violating the ban — even in non-working hours — could face referral to a military court.
The ban follows similar measures introduced in recent weeks in several provinces, including Herat, Kandahar, and Ghor. In those areas, Taliban authorities have ordered government employees to stop using smartphones, and in some cases, extended the ban to students in schools and universities.
Videos and images circulating on social media show Taliban members smashing devices taken from public employees as part of enforcement efforts.
Earlier this month, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada issued a verbal order prohibiting the use of smartphones by Taliban members and civilian government employees across the country. The directive was later circulated by the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice to military courts operating under the Supreme Court’s military division. Police commanders and intelligence officials were also informed of the order.
The Taliban Minister for Higher Education, Neda Mohammad Nadim, has long criticized smartphones, once describing them as “one of the three main enemies of Muslims.” In October 2025, he directed universities to prohibit their use on premises during working hours, with exceptions only for senior administrators.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have steadily tightened controls over the flow of information and communication tools, imposing restrictions on media outlets, journalists, and access to information. Media watchdogs and rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns that such measures are narrowing civic space and limiting access to independent information.
