In a troubling turn of events, the Taliban’s recent internet shutdowns across Afghanistan are severely impacting the rights and livelihoods of its citizens, as highlighted by Human Rights Watch. These shutdowns, which began in mid-September 2025, have escalated to encompass the entire country by the end of the month, cutting off access to essential services such as education, commerce, media, and healthcare.
Taliban officials have justified these actions by claiming they aim to prevent “immoral behavior.” Initially, the shutdown targeted fiber optics in several northern provinces, but by September 29, the capital city of Kabul was plunged into darkness as both fiber and mobile internet services were suspended. By September 30, Proton VPN confirmed that the internet was completely inaccessible throughout Afghanistan.
“The Taliban’s moves to cut internet access harms the livelihoods of millions of Afghans and deprives them of their basic rights to education, health care, and access to information,” stated Fereshta Abbasi, an Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The Taliban should drop its baseless rationales and end these shutdowns.”
As the blackout took hold in Kabul, businesses faced significant disruptions, with reports of canceled flights to and from the city’s airport. Students, particularly women and girls who have already been excluded from secondary and higher education due to the Taliban’s sweeping bans, found themselves unable to participate in online classes. A university lecturer shared with Human Rights Watch that of the 28 students enrolled in an online class, only 9 managed to join, including just 3 women.
These internet shutdowns further isolate women and girls, severing one of the last remaining pathways for learning, information access, online employment, and essential services reliant on digital connectivity. Activists warn that such measures will undermine their ability to support their communities, particularly affecting women-led initiatives aimed at providing vital services for women and girls.
Journalists working in Afghanistan have reported being unable to make local or international calls, as the shutdown affected both mobile and fiber-optic networks, including communication platforms like WhatsApp and Signal. This lack of connectivity has made it extremely challenging to document the impact of the shutdown, as reaching anyone inside the country has become nearly impossible.
Humanitarian organizations have expressed grave concerns that the blackout will hinder their operations in Afghanistan, as their work relies heavily on internet connectivity for outreach, coordination, and the delivery of aid. Indrika Ratwatte, the United Nations’ humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan, emphasized that the shutdowns are disrupting daily business operations and the provision of critical assistance: “This is another crisis on top of the existing crises, and the impact is going to be on the lives of Afghan people.”
Access to the internet is increasingly recognized as a fundamental enabler of various human rights. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has documented the far-reaching consequences of internet blackouts, which include restrictions on freedom of expression, political participation, public safety, education, work, and health, while exacerbating existing social, economic, and gender-based inequalities. Shutdowns disproportionately affect women and girls, limiting their access to essential support and information, including emergency health services. The OHCHR and the UN Human Rights Council have both urged governments to refrain from implementing such shutdowns.
“Afghans were already isolated from the world, but now they are completely cut off,” Abbasi concluded. “The longer the Taliban internet shutdowns continue, the more harmful the consequences will be for both the people and the country.”
