What's happened
Since September 29, 2025, Afghanistan has faced a near-total internet and telecom blackout after the Taliban severed fiber-optic connections citing immorality concerns. The Taliban deny imposing a ban, attributing outages to decaying infrastructure. The shutdown disrupts banking, commerce, aviation, and humanitarian aid, with partial restoration beginning October 1.
What's behind the headline?
Taliban's Internet Blackout: Control Under the Guise of Infrastructure
The Taliban's claim that the nationwide internet outage stems from 'decaying fiber optic infrastructure' is contradicted by the timing and scope of the shutdown, which aligns with their ongoing crackdown on perceived immorality. This blackout is a strategic move to consolidate control over information flow and suppress dissent.
Impact on Society and Economy
The blackout has paralyzed banking, commerce, and aviation, isolating millions and exacerbating Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis. Women and girls, already marginalized, face further exclusion as online education halts. The disruption also impedes aid organizations' ability to operate effectively.
Information Control and Political Dynamics
The Taliban's internal divisions between hardliners in Kandahar and relatively moderate officials in Kabul suggest the blackout serves as a tool for enforcing conservative social policies. The false statements circulated on social media reveal attempts to manage international perception amid growing criticism.
Forecast and Consequences
The partial restoration of services indicates technical teams are working under pressure, but full connectivity restoration remains uncertain. Continued restrictions will deepen Afghanistan's isolation, hinder economic recovery, and entrench authoritarian governance. International pressure and humanitarian needs may influence future Taliban decisions, but the regime's ideological priorities will likely maintain tight information controls.
What the papers say
The Associated Press reported the Taliban's initial denial of an internet ban, attributing outages to worn fiber-optic cables, but later clarified that a circulated statement was false and not officially from the Taliban (AP News, Oct 1). Al Jazeera echoed the Taliban's denial, noting past internet cuts to combat 'immorality' and the impact on businesses and education (Al Jazeera, Oct 1). The New Arab detailed the phased restoration of cell services and highlighted the Taliban's internal tensions between hardliners and moderates, emphasizing the blackout's disruption to banking, aviation, and online education (The New Arab, Oct 1). Netblocks, cited by multiple sources including Al Jazeera and The Guardian, confirmed a near-total internet blackout with connectivity dropping below 1%, describing the shutdown as consistent with intentional disconnection (Al Jazeera, Sep 30; The Guardian, Sep 30). The United Nations and humanitarian groups like Save the Children warned of severe challenges due to the blackout, stressing the necessity of reliable communications for aid delivery (AP News, Oct 1). The Guardian provided detailed context on the Taliban's orders to shut down thousands of telecom pillars and the economic fallout, including canceled flights and frozen markets (The Guardian, Sep 30). These sources collectively illustrate a complex narrative of a regime using infrastructure claims to mask a politically motivated information blackout with profound societal consequences.
How we got here
The Taliban, ruling Afghanistan since 2021, have increasingly restricted internet access to enforce strict Islamic law. In September 2025, they ordered fiber-optic shutdowns in several provinces to combat 'immorality,' culminating in a nationwide blackout that crippled communications and economic activity.
Go deeper
- Why did the Taliban cut internet services across Afghanistan?
- How is the internet blackout affecting daily life and the economy?
- What are international organizations saying about the blackout?
Common question
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More on these topics
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The Taliban or Taleban, who refer to themselves as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, are a Sunni Islamic fundamentalist political movement and military organization in Afghanistan currently waging war within that country.
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Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central and South Asia.
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Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada is a political and religious leader who is the third Supreme Commander of the Taliban. He is given the title of Emir-al-Mumineen by Taliban which is also the title which his two predecessors had carried.
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NetBlocks is a non-governmental organization that monitors cybersecurity and the governance of the Internet. The organization was founded in 2017 to monitor Internet freedom.
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The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization that aims to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.
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Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan, located in the eastern section of the country. It is also a municipality, forming part of the greater Kabul Province, and divided into 22 districts.
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The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children was established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic opportunities, as well as providing emergency aid in natural