The lights went out on Afghanistan’s digital world last month, plunging the nation into a two-day telecommunications blackout that brought airports, banks, and daily life to a grinding halt. This drastic move by the Taliban government felt like a rewind to their initial rule from 1996 to 2001, effectively cutting off a crucial lifeline for millions. While internet connectivity was eventually restored, the subsequent blocking of social media apps like Instagram and Facebook this week signals a clear intent for tightly controlled digital access.
Over the four years since reclaiming power, the Taliban have steadily tightened their grip on Afghan society. Examples range from prohibiting content creators on YouTube in one province to banning television channels from broadcasting images of living beings in another. However, this nationwide internet and cellphone service suspension was unprecedented in its scope, leaving many Afghans fearing indefinite isolation or repeated shutdowns.
“We are always at home, so the internet was our only way to tell other people that we are alive,” shared Mahsa, a 19-year-old caught mid-math lesson in a U.S.-sponsored online education program when the blackout struck. For young women like Mahsa, barred from traditional schooling after sixth grade, online platforms represent their sole path to continuing education.
Afghans are seen using their mobile phones after the internet was restored this month in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Credit: Wakil Kohsar/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)
Afghan officials have remained silent on the shutdown. However, external officials and analysts point to an order from Afghanistan’s leader, Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada, who reportedly aimed to curb “immoral acts” through these restrictions.
“The internet shutdown is the most damaging decision the emir has made after closing schools for girls,” stated Asfandyar Mir, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington. He emphasized that this recent action impacted everyone and immediately hurt the economy.
The reasons behind the internet’s eventual restoration after two days remain ambiguous. Interviews with foreign officials, analysts, and an aide to an Afghan government official suggest that some within the Afghan administration likely recognized the unsustainability of the blackout. They may have restored access, possibly even without Akhundzada’s direct approval.
This potential internal resistance, if verified, would hint at a growing divergence between Kabul-based ministers advocating for fewer social restrictions (including those on women and girls) and the ultraconservative Akhundzada, who largely resides in Kandahar, distant from the central government. As Graeme Smith, an author and analyst with extensive experience in Afghanistan, remarked, “Defiance of the Emir is anathema to Taliban ideology, which is based on allegiance to him. But this looks like a rare example of internal pushback against the leader.”
A gathering convened by Mr. Akhundzada in Kandahar with hundreds of provincial and district governors shortly after internet access returned reportedly did not address the shutdown. While no overt signs of dissension were present, Akhundzada did urge attendees to show unity and respect their superiors, according to two anonymous participants.
For countless Afghans, the internet outage brought daily life to a standstill. Despite patchy access in some areas, smartphone adoption has surged in recent years, fueled by expanding 4G networks and affordable devices.
In Herat, a bustling city in northwestern Afghanistan, Nazir Hussaini’s two travel businesses were almost ruined. He found himself unable to exchange currency or process visa applications for clients traveling to nearby Iran. “It felt like we were thrown back 30 years, trapped in the dark and unable to breathe,” Mr. Hussaini lamented.
Muhammad, a police officer in Kabul, recalled the internet going off at 5 p.m. on Sept. 29 as he headed to his late shift. Typically, his team would share crime reports via an internal WhatsApp group. For two days, with no online communication and local elders unable to call in reports, investigations ceased.
The internet shutdown further exacerbated Afghanistan’s already fragile economy, which is grappling with multiple ongoing crises. It severed financial lifelines, preventing many Afghans from receiving essential funds from relatives abroad. Humanitarian efforts by U.N. and other agencies were also imperiled, impacting aid delivery to earthquake victims and the nearly three million Afghans who have returned this year amidst forced repatriations from Pakistan and Iran.
Human rights advocates and Afghanistan observers have expressed grave concerns, warning that restricted online access will severely impact the mental well-being of women and girls. Mahsa, the high school student, powerfully articulated this fear: “With a shutdown or restricted access to internet, you’re in a gray zone, and if something happens to me, nobody will know.”