• Afghanistan endures a nationwide internet blackout initiated by the Taliban to prevent "immorality."
• Connectivity reportedly dropped to less than 1% of normal levels, disrupting businesses and daily life.
• The United Nations and other organizations expressed severe concerns over the impact on humanitarian efforts.
• Afghans faced restrictions on communication, limiting access to essential services and affecting economic stability.
• The Taliban has denied any official ban, attributing outages to old infrastructure needing replacement.

Afghanistan is experiencing a nationwide internet and mobile telephone blackout initiated by the Taliban, cutting off critical access to communications. The disruptions began with the government's decision to cut fiber-optic networks in a clampdown on what the Taliban describes as "immoral activities" under the orders of Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Monitoring organization NetBlocks reported that connectivity had dropped to nearly zero, severely hindering business operations and daily life for residents across the country, according to Reuters, South China Morning Post, and Dawn.

The Taliban's actions have led to economic paralysis, as shopkeeper Najibullah noted, “We are blind without phones and internet,” indicating that mobile communications are critical for their business operations. Complaints from Afghans were common, with widespread reports of disrupted banking services, halted flights, and frozen markets as people were unable to communicate effectively with each other or the outside world. The government plans for a one-week shutdown of 3G and 4G mobile services, further limiting connectivity to older 2G standards, according to South China Morning Post, ABC News, and Le Monde.

The United Nations has issued a statement expressing deep concern over the adverse effects of the blackout on humanitarian operations. The cessation of internet services threatens to exacerbate what the UN describes as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, impacting medical assistance, remittances, and ordinary communication among families. Humanitarian organizations are particularly affected, as their ability to deliver aid relies heavily on reliable communication channels, warns Dawn and NPR.

The telecommunications blackout raised alarms about the potential return to earlier restrictions observed during the Taliban's previous rule, where access to information was severely hampered. Afghan officials indicated that the blackout stems from the need to "prevent vice," a sentiment echoed in multiple provinces. Despite earlier similar cases, the Taliban leadership has denied a formal ban on internet services, attributing service disruptions to old infrastructure that needs replacement, according to South China Morning Post and Al Jazeera.