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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial | |
ARTICLE VIEW: | |
Taliban orders ban on internet in northern Afghanistan ‘to prevent | |
immoral activities’ | |
Story by Reuters | |
Updated: | |
9:14 PM EDT, Wed September 17, 2025 | |
Source: Reuters | |
The Taliban administration on Wednesday announced an internet ban | |
across a swathe of northern Afghanistan, “to prevent immoral | |
activities,” provincial government statements said. | |
The hardline Islamist movement has previously voiced concern over | |
pornography and flirtation between men and women online. | |
It is the first such internet ban since the Taliban Afghanistan in | |
2021, though it has announced other measures including stopping girls | |
going to high school and women working in many different fields. | |
The ban will cover five provinces – Kunduz, Badakhshan, Baghlan, | |
Takhar and Balkh – in the north of the country, which encompasses the | |
population centers of the region. | |
The restriction is limited to all internet connections via fiber optic | |
cable, officials said. Internet access on cell phone data, however, | |
will be available, they said. | |
All connections have been cut off, according to a statement from the | |
provinces. | |
“This measure has been taken to prevent immoral activities,” the | |
statement said, adding that an alternative will be provided for | |
essential needs. | |
The fiber optic disconnection leaves offices, homes and other | |
businesses without an internet connection. | |
Former US Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said the ban was | |
absurd. | |
“If pornography is really the concern, like as in many Islamic | |
countries, it can easily be filtered. Many countries in the Islamic | |
world do exactly that,” he said. | |
The Taliban formally codified a long set of rules governing morality | |
late last year, ranging from requiring women to cover their faces and | |
men to grow beards to banning car drivers from playing music. | |
The Taliban’s restrictions on and freedom of expression have drawn | |
sharp criticism from rights groups and many foreign governments. | |
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