Afghanistan has once again imposed serious restrictions on internet freedom. According to the NetBlocks internet monitoring service, access to Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat has been temporarily suspended across the country.
It is reported that several local internet providers have restricted access to these platforms. This situation was recorded after large-scale telecommunications disruptions observed in Afghanistan last week. In a post on NetBlocks’ X (formerly Twitter) account, it stated:
“According to reports, major Afghan internet providers have restricted access to Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. These measures were implemented following network outages,” the statement read.
Taliban responded, UN expressed concern
A day earlier, on September 29, NetBlocks reported that the Taliban had completely shut down the internet across the country under the pretext of “preserving morality and ethics.”
The UN mission in Afghanistan announced on September 30 that more than 43 million people were cut off from the global network due to the shutdown. The outage affected not only information exchange but also the financial, banking, healthcare, and education sectors.
Although no official government statement has been released yet, Taliban representatives denied the reports about blocking access. They claimed that “the disruptions were due to technical reasons, particularly the country’s outdated infrastructure and energy supply issues.”
Life without internet — a society without information
Experts emphasize that restricting internet access in Afghanistan not only halts the flow of information but also has a serious impact on the nation’s economic development.
For many citizens, social networks are not only a means of communication but also an essential part of business and trade. Therefore, these restrictions are creating significant difficulties in daily life.
Internet freedom in Afghanistan had already been limited in recent years. Several news and blog platforms were blocked under the pretext of “immoral content.” The current situation is seen as a new phase of these restrictions.
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