NetBlocks, an internet monitoring organization, reported yesterday (Wednesday) that the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have deliberately restricted mobile access to Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat platforms, in another move deepening the country’s digital isolation from the world.

This new ban, targeting especially youth and women, comes less than two weeks after a complete internet shutdown that caused economic and social chaos, raising fears of a return to a “digital blackout” that stifles the voice of opposition in the country threatened with collapse.

Alvis MacGy, director of NetBlocks, which monitors global communications, stated that “the restrictions are clear and systematic, with data traffic dropping by up to 70% on major mobile networks like Roshan and MTN,” confirming that the restriction began Wednesday morning and affects millions of users in Kabul, Herat, and Mazar-i-Sharif, where residents rely on these apps to communicate with relatives abroad.

In a statement, the Taliban’s Ministry of Communications denied any comprehensive ban, pointing out that the restrictions are “temporary to combat harmful content promoting sedition and moral corruption,” but activists in exile see it as an attempt to silence growing protests against the ban on women’s education and strict dress codes.

This is not the first such measure; the Taliban imposed a complete internet shutdown for 48 hours (September 29-30) last September, which disrupted banking services, canceled flights, and halted humanitarian aid in a country suffering from famine threatening 23 million people, with connectivity dropping to 14% of normal levels.

Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, Afghanistan has become one of the most repressive countries for digital freedoms worldwide, according to reports from organizations such as Reporters Without Borders and Human Rights Watch.

The number of internet users in the country is estimated at about 20 million (around 45% of the 43 million population), mostly young people who rely on social media platforms for communication, learning, and fighting for rights.

The Taliban began restricting internet access as a tool to enforce values, banning apps like TikTok and WhatsApp in some areas in 2022 to combat “immoral content,” and shutting down radio and TV stations for the same reason.