Taliban leader bans Wi-Fi in Afghan province to 'prevent immorality'

Internet restriction in Balkh ordered by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada

Residents of Afghanistan's Balkh province face a Wi-Fi shutdown ordered by the Taliban's supreme leader. AFP

The Taliban's supreme leader has banned Wi-Fi in an Afghan province to "prevent immorality".

The ruling in northern Balkh province is the first of its kind since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. It leaves offices and homes without Wi-Fi, although mobile internet still works.

Haji Attaullah Zaid, a provincial government spokesman, said the “complete ban” was ordered by Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada. He told the Associated Press: “This measure was taken to prevent immorality, and an alternative will be built within the country for necessities".

He did not explain why Balkh was chosen or whether the shutdown would spread to other parts of Afghanistan. Authorities sometimes suspend the mobile phone network to prevent explosives being detonated, for example during religious festivals.

One Balkh resident told the AP that mobile internet was slow and expensive and that people in his house needed Wi-Fi. “Blocking the internet is beyond my comprehension in such an advanced era,” he said.

The Taliban have introduced a series of restrictions in the name of "morality" since seizing power from the former US-backed government four years ago, in particular affecting women and girls.

Laws brought in by the Taliban impose dress codes, require women to have a male guardian and segregate men and women in public spaces. Women can be punished even for singing or speaking outside, and men and boys, too, face "rigid rules" on their appearance, UN analysts have said.

Nepal recently shut down social media websites including Facebook, YouTube and X. But the ban backfired as youth-led protests toppled the prime minister and descended into deadly violence.

Internet access was also restricted in Iran during its 12-day war with Israel in June.