‘Immorality’ Crackdown: Taliban’s Expanding Internet Ban Plunges Afghan Provinces into Digital Darkness
Background: Taliban Rule and Rising Censorship (2021–Present) When the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, Afghans feared a rollback of the relative freedom enjoyed over the prior two decades. Those fears have largely been realized. In the four years since the takeover, the Taliban have gutted Afghanistan’s independent media sector, shutting down over 400 outlets and replacing them with a state-controlled propaganda apparatus cpj.org. Hundreds of journalists have been arrested or driven into exile, and remaining media are forced to seek Taliban approval for any reporting cpj.org thediplomat.com. From day one of the new regime, women have been banned
