Taliban order ban on smartphones as officials shown destroying devices

A sweeping ban on the use of smartphones by government officials was ordered by the terror organisation, in a move that analysts suggest could precede wider, population-level restrictions. The directive issued by military courts prohibits all ranks of mujahideen and service staff from utilising mobile phones, warning that violators face the destruction of their devices alongside legal and sharia punishments.

The ban is being enforced unevenly across Afghanistan, with some areas extending the restrictions to civilians, women, teachers, and medical workers, according to local sources. This measure follows previous attempts to disconnect the country from the global internet, including a brief two-day blackout aimed at preventing immorality, which severely disrupted the private and banking sectors before being reversed.

Anxieties over leaked official documents and diminished workplace productivity drove the restrictions, analysts state. Concerns intensified following recent street demonstrations in Herat, where authorities attempted to suppress online footage after security forces fired into a crowd, causing at least two individuals to lose their lives.