'Is Pornography Really The Concern?' Taliban's Internet Ban In Afghanistan Draws Questions, Criticism

The Taliban administration on Wednesday proclaimed an internet ban to be implemented throughout Afghanistan, saying that it was "trying to prevent immoral activities" through this action.

The Taliban leadership has previously expressed disapproval for the consumption of pornographic material and "flirtation" between men and women online.

The ban is on the internet services provided via fibre optic cables, with mobile internet still being available to use.

It was initially enforced in Kunduz, Badakhshan, Baghlan, Takhar and Balkh in the north on Tuesday, eventually spreading to the east as well with regions like Badakhshan, Kunduz and Nangarhar, also facing the ban, according to Associated Press.

Experts have questioned Taliban's "prevention of immortality" logic behind the curbs on internet, suggesting that the restrictions could be aimed at preventing expression of dissent using social media and other online platforms.

"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," said Zalmay Khalilzad, former US ambassador to Afghanistan.

The decision to ban internet is "absurd and unwise", and will damage the economy, he added.

On what basis is it being assumed that people are "using the internet for pornography?" added Khalilzad, who was one of the key US officials during the period when American troops finally pulled out of Afghanistan.

"Shutting down the internet is the Taliban’s latest attempt, under their brutal system of gender apartheid, to cut Afghan women and girls off from the world," Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai posted on X. "Without reliable internet access, they cannot access their courses or connect with their peers and teachers."

The ban on internet was instituted by Hibatullah Akhundzada, according to a statement from Haji Attaullah Zaid, a provincial government spokesperson. He further said that an alternative will be built in the country for necessities.

The ban, according to reports, has disrupted government and banking services, businesses and interfered with online schooling. This move has "closed the gates of online schools to girls", a female student was reported as saying by Afghan International.

A Balkh resident informed the Associated Press, (under anonymity fearing retribution from the Taliban) that the ban interfered with his business and his work which involved communicating with people and firms located outside of Afghanistan. He said that mobile internet in Afghanistan was "slow" and "expensive".

The resident said that he was contemplating moving to a different province as he cannot weather the loss to his livelihood caused by the ban. He said that he had a family of six, including a student that all used and depended on Wi-Fi.

This is the first such ban enforced in Afghanistan since the Taliban took power in August 2021.

“This action, carried out on the orders of the Taliban’s leader, not only disrupts millions of citizens’ access to free information and essential services but also poses a grave threat to freedom of expression and the work of the media," the Afghanistan Media Support Organization said in a statement, cited by AP.