Event Summary
Throughout 2025, the Taliban increasingly used internet shutdowns and service disruptions as a tool to control information flows across Afghanistan. Beginning in mid-September 2025, authorities progressively cut fiber-optic and mobile internet services in several provinces, including Baghlan, Balkh, Badakhshan, Kunduz, Takhar, and Nangarhar. Taliban officials initially justified these actions as measures to “prevent immorality” or cited technical and infrastructure issues, explanations that were widely questioned by journalists, civil society groups, and international observers.
On 1 November 2025, grassroots sources indicated that the Taliban shut down all internet services in Andarab District without providing any explanation, with observers suggesting the move was aimed at restricting information flow and in response to fears of anti-Taliban resistance forces operating in the area. This event is not an outlier but part of a broader pattern of internet restrictions imposed by the Taliban over the past year. Similar shutdowns have occurred in multiple provinces, especially in rural and security-sensitive areas with suspected anti-Taliban resistance. These measures are often implemented without notice or clear justification and are widely seen as efforts to control information and limit opposition. The Andarab incident aligns with this trend, indicating a systematic approach to treating internet access as a security issue. Similar disruptions are therefore likely to continue in other districts.