UN Experts Warn Taliban’s Internet Restrictions Violate Afghan Rights

United Nations human rights experts have criticized the Taliban for imposing restrictions on internet and social media access in Afghanistan, saying the measures violate the rights of Afghan citizens.

The move follows a 48-hour internet blackout from 29–30 September, which coincided with a morality campaign led by Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada. Prior to the outage, authorities had ordered fiber-optic services to be cut in several provinces, although the two-day blackout itself was not officially addressed.

Connectivity largely returned on 1 October, but the UN experts reported that access to popular social media platforms—including Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat—has remained restricted since 7 October. NetBlocks, a monitoring group, confirmed the ongoing disruptions across multiple Afghan internet providers.

“These new restrictions, while currently partial rather than total, appear to be part of a deliberate effort to control public discourse and regulate societal behavior,” the UN experts said. They urged the Taliban to restore full access and refrain from actions that undermine civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights.

The UN team highlighted that such shutdowns further isolate Afghans from the global community and sever vital connections with family abroad, including those sending essential remittances.

The experts, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, serve in an individual and voluntary capacity. The Taliban government has not issued an immediate response.