KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on the Taliban to immediately restore fiber-optic internet across Afghanistan, warning that the blackout further restricts journalists’ work and limits public access to information.
In a statement on Wednesday, CPJ Regional Director Beh Lih Yi said the ban on broadband internet marks an unprecedented escalation of censorship that could undermine both journalism and the public’s right to reliable news.
“The Taliban should end its cycle of repression and unconditionally restore internet access, which is an essential tool for news gathering,” she said.
The watchdog said it reached out to Taliban deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
The Taliban cut fiber-optic internet in northern Balkh province on Monday, a move that has since extended to at least ten more provinces, including Takhar, Kunduz, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Nimruz, Uruzgan, and Helmand.
Taliban authorities say the order came directly from their reclusive leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, who called the internet the “root of all evil” and a driver of “immoral activities.”
The shutdown has disrupted government and banking services, humanitarian operations relying on digital platforms, and cross-border trade and remittances. Schoolchildren and university students, particularly women and girls who remain barred from education, have also been affected, unable to attend online classes.
Mobile data is still available, but residents say it is slow, costly, and unreliable.
The internet shutdown is the latest in a series of measures by the Taliban to tighten control over society and restrict access to information and education. They have previously blocked numerous local and international news outlets, as well as platforms like TikTok and some online games, claiming they spread “propaganda” and “immorality.”
