The Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has issued a new warning, further tightening restrictions on the digital space in Afghanistan—threats that have put freedom of expression at serious risk for citizens and journalists. The Taliban declared that any "un-Islamic and unethical" use of social media will lead to legal prosecution.
Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, spokesperson for the ministry, stated that only content promoting "the defense of Islam, religious education, Islamic unity, and verified news" is permitted according to Taliban standards. He also emphasized that the ministry is monitoring users' online activity using its "legal authority and available resources."
These moves come as the Taliban have already imposed widespread censorship on domestic media and are now seeking to gain full control over the remaining online space. Reports indicate that the group has banned the publication of images of living beings across more than 20 provinces, including on official pages of media outlets, government institutions, and private companies.
Concerns over growing pressure on freedom of expression are mounting, as ordinary citizens and journalists have repeatedly been arrested, tortured, and imprisoned for social media activity deemed in violation of the Taliban's imposed rules. Currently, at least ten journalists are held in Taliban prisons solely for publishing reports that contradict the group’s views and interests.
For Afghan women, who are already surrounded by restrictions and silencing, social media remains the only space through which their voices can reach the outside world. Now, it appears the Taliban are trying to shut that window, too.
