Islamabad – Internet blackouts hit Afghanistan on Monday, with local media reporting potential cuts in fiber optic services as part of the Taliban crackdown on immorality.
This is the first time Afghanistan has experienced this type of closure since the former rebels seized power in August 2021.
Several states lost fiber optic connections earlier this month after Taliban leader Hibatura Ahnzada issued an order banning services to prevent immorality.
On Monday, Internet Access Advocacy Group Netblocks said that live metrics showed Afghanistan's connectivity “collapsed” to 14% of its normal level.
“This incident is likely to severely limit the public's ability to contact the outside world,” the group added.
The Associated Press, like journalists in the Nangarhar and Hermand provinces, were unable to contact the Kabul Bureau. There were no confirmations of power outages from the Taliban government, which relies heavily on messaging apps and social media.
The Private Toro News TV Channel said the sources confirmed that the fibre optic internet could be cut nationwide from Monday.