Afghanistan Restricts Access to Social Media on Smartphones

1 week ago 10

October 9, 2025 | 07:56 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Global internet monitor NetBlocks has reported that access to major social media platforms is currently restricted in Afghanistan.

"Metrics show social media platforms Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat are now restricted on multiple providers in #Afghanistan," it posted on X on Wednesday.

The Taliban had already banned access to TikTok back in 2022.

Social media users first started commenting on the restrictions late on Monday, local broadcaster Ariana News reported

Some users were reporting a complete cut in access in certain areas, Ariana News said, while others had slow internet connections or intermittent service.

A resident of the capital Kabul and a resident of Mazar-i-Sharif, a city in the north of the country, told German news agency dpa that they were unable to access Instagram and Facebook without VPNs.

Virtual Private Networks allow users to bypass internet restrictions.

Some social media platforms still accessible

Several other social media platforms, such as WhatsApp and X, are reportedly still functioning, according to dpa.

AFP news agency said their journalists in several provinces of Afghanistan have been unable to access the social media platforms on their mobile phones.

The journalists also reported a significantly slower internet speed, AFP said.

The Taliban has not officially confirmated the restrictions, several news agencies report.

Just over half (51%) of Afghanistan's estimated population of 44 million have a mobile connection, according to GSMA, a global association for mobile phone operators.

Taliban ordered total internet ban last week

The Taliban completely suspended internet and telecommunications services for nearly 48 hours at the end of September.

The suspension from September 29 to October 1 left the the country almost entirely cut off from the outside world.

Rights groups criticized the internet cuts as having extremely serious implications for people across the country, particularly women and girls.

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