What We Know About the ‘Total Internet Blackout’ in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is grappling with a nationwide internet blackout initiated by Taliban authorities, after the regime announced earlier this month that it was cutting off access in parts of the country to crack down on “immoral activities.” NetBlocks, an internet watchdog organization, said in a post on Monday night local time that the country is “now in the midst of a total internet blackout as Taliban authorities move to implement morality measures.” News of the blackout sparked backlash from aid and advocacy groups: The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) urged the Taliban “to immediately and fully restore nationwide Internet and telecommunications access,” saying that the blackout “has left Afghanistan almost completely cut off from the outside world, and risks inflicting significant harm on the Afghan people.” “Such a ban has immediate and far-reaching consequences, including severely impacting the functioning of critical banking and financial systems, further increasing the isolation of women and girls, limiting access to emergency services and medical care, disrupting the aviation sector, and limiting access to remittances for dependent families,” UNAMA said in a press release. “The current blackout also constitutes a further restriction on access to information and freedom of expression in Afghanistan.” Here’s what to know about the situation. When did the blackout start? UNAMA said that access to the internet “has been interrupted or cut in many parts of Afghanistan” since Sept. 16. Then on Monday, internet access was cut in the country’s capital, Kabul, and across the rest of Afghanistan “without prior notice,” UNAMA said. NetBlocks first reported a “collapse in internet access” in the country around 5:30 p.m. Monday evening local time. A couple hours later, the organization said the country was experiencing a “total internet blackout,” and that telephone services were also being impacted. The country was still grappling with the blackout as of Tuesday, more than 24 hours later. Do we know when it will end? It’s unclear how long the blackout will last. The Taliban said it would continue the shutdown until further notice, according to the BBC. What has the impact of the blackout been? The blackout has affected essentially all wireless internet connections, mobile internet, and telephone services. News outlets have reported disruptions to banking services, hospitals, businesses, government offices, news organizations, education, airports, and visa issuances in a country of roughly 43 million people. The shutdown also comes weeks after more than 2,200 people were killed in a devastating earthquake in the eastern part of the country. Aid organizations expressed concerns that the blackout would throw emergency response into disarray.  The Taliban’s crackdown on ‘immoral activities’ Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, it has enforced many hardline restrictions on the country’s residents. But this is the first time the entire nation has grappled with a sweeping internet blackout under the regime. Taliban authorities have imposed numerous restrictions on girls and women in particular, including barring them from holding certain jobs and from attending high school and higher education. Many girls and women have turned to online education being offered by organizations in other countries, but the nationwide blackout now cuts off their access to that, too. The Taliban has reportedly raised concerns about online pornography in the past few weeks. When the regime imposed an internet ban in five of Afghanistan’s northern provinces earlier in the month, officials said they were cutting off access “to prevent immoral activities.” The Taliban has not yet given an explanation for its decision to implement the wider blackout this week.