Afghanistan, explained.
Data from UK monitoring group NetBlocks showing the drop of internet connectivity in Afghanistan after Taliban authorities imposed a nationwide shutdown on 29 September (Graphic by John Saeki/AFP via Getty Images)
Cutting Afghanistan off from the world shows how the Taliban prioritises control over the welfare of millions already suffering.
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When the Taliban switches off the internet, Afghanistan disappearsWhen the Taliban switches off the internet, Afghanistan disappears
In the age of artificial intelligence and digital everything, it is astonishing to see a “total internet blackout”. On Monday, internet watchdog groups Telecomtalk and NetBlocks reported that “connectivity in Afghanistan has now collapsed to 14% of ordinary levels,” marking the first time the country has been choked off from the outside world since the Taliban seized Kabul in 2021. The United Nations mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has appealed to the Taliban to restore access immediately, warning the blackout could “deepen an already dire humanitarian crisis”.
The Taliban plunged Afghanistan into silence early Monday without warning. A diplomat, speaking via satellite from Kabul, said the sudden blackout came after earlier crackdowns on 22 September, when fibre-optic services in northern Afghanistan were also cut. If the disconnect continues, the notion of the “global village” loses all relevance in Afghanistan, eroding the very foundation of technological and internet progress.
On Tuesday morning, flight data indicated that several incoming flights to Kabul had been cancelled.
Ordinary Afghans fear the Taliban’s vague statement that services are blacked out “until further notice”. The phrase recalls the same wording used to justify the suspension of girls’ education, promised only temporarily, but still in place after four years. For some girls, online classes were the last remaining path to learning. Now, that door is closed too. Ironically, the Taliban itself depend on digital platforms and messaging apps like WhatsApp to run daily government affairs.
I fear the shutdown could expand further. My mind goes back to 1997, during the Taliban’s first rule, when making an international phone call meant traveling to Pakistan. I once asked my uncle why he was going there, and he replied, “I have to make a phone call.” At that time, only a few UN officials or diplomats in Afghanistan using satellite phones had direct contact with the outside world. The latest internet shutdown is sparking concerns of a return to the restrictions of the previous Taliban rule in Afghanistan, which prohibited television, satellite dishes, and other mass communication tools.
A total internet blackout in Afghanistan does more than disrupt communication – it cruels the economy.
Smartphone use has surged in Afghanistan with 4G expansion. By 2023, 18% of the population accessed the internet, and there were 56 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, according to the World Bank.
Hundreds of Taliban or pro-Taliban accounts are active on X, Facebook, and other social media platforms. On X, they participate in Spaces under various topics and often have thousands of followers. Many Afghans believed the Taliban’s return to power might not see the same communications restrictions as its previous rule, as some Taliban members openly use the latest iPhones and Android devices without fear of taking videos or photos.
However, locally, there appears to be little change in ideology. Obeying orders remains a core principle, strictly enforced from the supreme leader in Kandahar down to ordinary Taliban in Kabul, as recently emphasised by Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, the Taliban defence minister, in an interview with BBC Pashto.
Mazar-i-Sharif on 16 September 2025 after the Taliban banned fibre-optic internet in Balkh province (Atif Aryan/AFP via Getty Images)
Following the total internet blackout this week, Afghans living abroad experienced a sudden wave of panic as they were abruptly cut off from their families and loved ones – including members of the diaspora in Australia – who reacted strongly. Jameel Basit went live on Facebook, saying: “If the Taliban aim to crack down on immorality activities, they could filter, not then put people in darkness.” He warned that such restrictions would further damage an already fragile nation. Another person shared that when he left a message in his family WhatsApp group, “nobody replied Salaam [Hello].”
The internet shutdown also came in the days after US President Donald Trump revealed he wants to negotiate to retake Bagram Air Base, a US military hub during the Afghanistan war. This led another Afghan on social media to wonder sceptically if the Taliban was curtailing information to hide a “secret deal on Bagram”. Yama Jalaluddin wrote on Telegram: “If the Taliban truly represent the will of the people, why do they fear transparency? Why must the transfer of Bagram, a matter of national importance, be carried out secretly and without public notice?”
This latest restriction will affect Afghanistan politically, socially, and economically. Connectivity underpins much of daily life – from aviation and transport to online education, healthcare, and trade. Thousands of Afghan YouTubers and Facebook users also depend on digital platforms for income.
I follow a social media activist who has been instrumental in mobilising rescue efforts and rallying diaspora donations, as seen during the recent deadly earthquake in Kunar in the east. Since the Taliban’s return to power, families inside Afghanistan rely heavily on remittances sent from abroad, often through MoneyGram, Western Union or hawala – an informal transfer system. The money raised now cannot get to those in need.
A total internet blackout in Afghanistan does more than disrupt communication – it cruels the economy. Online businesses – “blind without phones and internet” – remittances, education, government services, and public infrastructure all stall at once. In a country already weakened by conflict and restrictive Taliban rule, such shutdowns deepen poverty, disrupts financial transactions, block diaspora support, and isolate the nation from global markets.
By shutting down the internet, the Taliban have also effectively deprived the people of their right to access information and once again demonstrated that maintaining power is their priority, even if it comes at the cost of suppressing freedom of expression and betraying the trust of the Afghan people. These are people who for years have been victims of war, occupation and corruption.
About the author
Humayoon Babur
Humayoon Babur is a freelance journalist and researcher who has covered Afghanistan for years, focusing on a wide range of topics, including politics, conflict, human rights, and environmental issues.
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