|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A sweeping blackout has descended across Afghanistan. In a measure that many see as draconian and deeply symbolic, the Taliban regime has ordered a nationwide shutdown of fibre-optic internet severely crippling communications, public life, and basic connectivity.
A Digital Blackout, Not Just a Pause
On September 29, 2025, the abrupt blackout rippled through the country. According to NetBlocks, a monitoring group, internet connectivity dropped to just 14% of its normal levels, virtually a shutdown.
It is the first time in their current rule that the Taliban appear to have severed internet access on such a scale. Earlier in the month, they began gradually disabling fibre-optic networks in several provinces, citing a fight against “immorality.”
Why Now? The Regime’s Justification
In official statements, local Taliban spokespeople have linked the shutdown to their campaign against “vice” or immoral content. In one example, the provincial government in Balkh affirmed the ban, claiming it was ordered by Taliban leadership. Yet the move is widely interpreted as more than moral policing. Observers see it as part of a broader strategy: to tighten control over information, restrict dissent, and further isolate citizens especially women, students, journalists, and anyone relying on the digital domain to defy restrictions.
Who Suffers the Most
Women & Girls
When formal schools and universities are off limits to many female students, the internet was a lifeline. Online classes, forums, and remote learning became tools of resistance and hope. Now, with connectivity crippled, many fear that their educational journey ends altogether.
Small Businesses & Artisans
Many Afghan women-led crafts operations, tailors, and online sellers depended on a stable internet to reach customers both inside and outside the country. The disruption has stalled orders, severed commerce, and pushed long-suffering entrepreneurs to the brink.
Media & Journalists
Independent media outlets, already under pressure, are now cut off from transmitting news and voices. Correspondents in provinces like Kabul, Helmand, and Nangarhar reported they could not be reached.
Everyday Lifelines
Critical services banking, healthcare, transport often depend on connectivity. The blackout risks further destabilizing systems already strained by conflict, poverty, and humanitarian crises.
The Silence That Speaks Volumes
One cannot ignore the symbolism: a regime that bans books, imposes strict dress codes, bans girls from school, now forbids the digital realm altogether. By pulling the plug, the Taliban is not just stopping videos or messages, they are strangling the flow of ideas, the ability to organize, and the minimal freedoms citizens once had. Those who once sent stories, code, lessons, or music across borders now face the hush. Those who argue for a future via Wi-Fi are left in darkness.
