KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Afghanistan Journalists Center has described the Taliban’s ban on the use of smartphones in government offices as “a continuation of policies aimed at tightening control over freedom of expression and access to information” and has strongly condemned the move.
In a statement issued today (Wednesday, June 17), the center said that “one of the negative impacts of this measure is the further restriction of journalists’ access to information, which had already been severely limited through various directives, particularly the ban on publishing images of living beings and conducting video interviews.”
The Afghanistan Journalists Center said that, in the age of technology and artificial intelligence, such measures represent the height of regression.
The center pointed to the consequences of this decision for access to information and quoted a local journalist in Khost as saying that, following the ban on smartphones, the limited and controlled flow of information from government offices in the province—which had previously been shared through WhatsApp groups—has come to a halt.
A journalist from the state-run Bakhtar News Agency also told the Afghanistan Journalists Center that Hedayatullah Hedayat, the head of the agency, sent a message on June 10 in the Bakhtar WhatsApp group instructing journalists in different provinces to use email if the smartphone ban is enforced.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center said that the Taliban should reconsider the restrictions they have imposed and respect citizens’ fundamental rights and freedoms, as well as the right to access information, which it described as a serious public need.
The ban on smartphones has raised concerns among journalists, civil society groups, and rights advocates, who argue that it could further restrict the flow of information in Afghanistan.
Nasir Ahmad Faiq, Afghanistan’s Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said that “while the world, by harnessing science, technology, and artificial intelligence, is improving people’s lives and creating new opportunities for progress and prosperity, the Taliban are depriving the people of Afghanistan of even the most basic tools of communication and access to information.”
Reacting to the Taliban’s ban on the use of smartphones, Faiq said today (Wednesday, June 17) that “no government has ever endured through censorship, repression, concealing the truth, and stripping citizens of their fundamental rights and freedoms.”
He added: “Half of society has been deprived of the right to education, schooling, and work; the teaching of modern sciences and skills has been restricted or prohibited in schools and educational centers, and fundamental human and Islamic freedoms are being grossly violated.”
The Acting Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations further wrote: “The deliberate deprivation of an entire nation from knowledge, awareness, technology, and the caravan of civilization and progress—and condemning it to poverty, ignorance, and isolation—is unjustifiable and unforgivable under any pretext or excuse.”
The reactions follow a recent report, indicated that Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada issued a verbal order banning smartphones for members of the group and government employees. A directive sent to Taliban military courts stated that violators would be treated as “criminals” and referred to military courts for punishment.
Since the issuance of the order, Taliban members in several provinces have shared videos showing themselves destroying their smartphones as a sign of compliance with the directive.
In addition, the Taliban’s Department of Education in Maidan Wardak has instructed employees, teachers, and students in the province to refrain from using smartphones during both official and non-official hours.
The latest order appears to be part of broader efforts by the Taliban leadership to tighten internal discipline and control the flow of information among its members. Restrictions on smartphone use have previously been linked to concerns over security, information leaks, and the dissemination of unauthorized content through social media and messaging applications.
Restrictions on smartphone use could further isolate Afghanistan from the rest of the world at a time when the country is already facing significant political and economic challenges. Smartphones have become essential tools for communication, access to information, education, and professional development.
Limiting their use among government employees and security personnel may reduce exposure to new ideas, technological developments, and international trends, potentially widening the gap between Afghanistan and other countries that are increasingly integrating digital technologies into governance and public services.
