Taliban leader restricts internet access in an Afghan province to 'prevent immorality'

Fibre optic internet has been banned in Afghanistan's northern Balkh province, although mobile data is still available.

The Taliban's leader has banned fibre optic internet in one province of Afghanistan to "prevent immorality," a spokesman for the administration said on Tuesday.There is no longer cable internet access in the northern Balkh region by order of a "complete ban" from the leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, according to the spokesperson.It is the first time a ban of this kind has been imposed since the Taliban seized power in August 2021.It leaves government offices, the private sector, public institutions, and homes in Balkh without Wi-Fi. However, mobile data is still functional."This measure was taken to prevent immorality, and an alternative will be built within the country for necessities," said Haji Attaullah Zaid, a provincial government spokesman.He gave no further information, including why Balkh was chosen for the ban or if the shutdown would spread to other provinces.One Balkh resident noticed connectivity issues a few days ago at home and contacted his service provider, which said it was a technical issue that would be resolved."Blocking the internet is beyond my comprehension in such an advanced era," said the resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of Taliban reprisals.He said that he rarely used mobile data because it was slow and expensive.A fast and stable internet connection was also important for his work, he said, which involved dealing with people and companies located outside Afghanistan."I might have to move from Mazar-e-Sharif (the capital of Balkh) to another province because I cannot afford the loss," the individual said.Authorities in Afghanistan sometimes suspend the mobile phone network for security reasons, usually during religious festivals, to prevent detonations of explosive devices.