Afghanistan Follows North Korea’s Path, Taliban Shuts Down Internet and Mobile Services Nationwide

The Taliban in Afghanistan has issued a new order, mirroring the practices of North Korea. This directive mandates the shutdown of communication services throughout the country, leading to the suspension of internet and telecom services. As a result, the Afghan population is now largely cut off from the outside world. This action has isolated over 43 million citizens, causing connectivity to plummet to less than one percent of normal levels on Monday, according to the global internet monitoring firm NetBlocks. This blackout follows several weeks of restrictions. Earlier this month, Taliban officials began severing fiber optic connections in multiple provinces, severely impacting high-speed internet access. On September 16th, Attaullah Zaid, the spokesperson for Balkh province, announced a complete ban on fiber optic services in the northern region, citing the need to ‘prevent evil’ as the reason behind the order.