Internet watchdog NetBlocks has confirmed reports from inside Afghanistan that several major social media sites have been “intentionally restricted.”
“Metrics show social media platforms Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat are now restricted on multiple providers in Afghanistan; the incident follows last week’s telecoms blackout and is the latest in a series of internet censorship measures imposed by the Taliban,” NetBlocks, a watchdog organization that monitors cybersecurity and internet governance, said in a statement on October 8.
The report confirms statements from social media users inside Afghanistan earlier in the day, who told Radio Azadi that they had been unable to access social media networks without using a filter breaker or VPN since the previous evening.
The Taliban-led government has not officially commented on the social media shutdown.
For nearly 48 hours last week, Afghanistan was plunged into confusion and chaos after authorities imposed a nationwide telecommunications blackout. The Taliban cut off access to fiber-optic Internet and cell phone service, which relies on the same system, without warning on September 29. It was restored on October 1.
The move triggered chaos, disrupting flights and cutting people off from banking and e-commerce systems as well as online jobs and schools.
The Taliban didn’t give an official reason for its decision, but the shutdown came weeks after the hard-line Islamist group blocked access to fiber-optic Internet in several provinces because of concerns over “immorality.”
Critics have said the decision is part of a wider crackdown on individual freedoms and the free flow of information.
The communications blackout affected ordinary Afghans, private businesses, and government offices and caused challenges for thousands of Afghans who are outside the country.
The Internet has been a lifeline for Afghan women, many of whom lost their right to work and study following a Taliban ban in 2022.
The blackout triggered fears among women that they were losing their last hope.
