Taliban bans smartphones for government employees
Ottawa Citizen
Jun 22, 2026
KABUL • Government workers in different parts of Afghanistan have started switching off their smartphones, following an order that reportedly came from Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
A letter announcing the ban on smartphones for all government employees started circulating on social media earlier this month under the emblem of the Supreme Court, which has not responded to AFP'S requests to comment.
“All the heads of departments in their respective provinces are advised to inform their staff, higher-ranking or lower-ranking, that using smartphones is strictly banned effective 17 June,” said the letter.
It referred to all employees of the military and civilian departments, mentioning that exemptions could only be granted by the supreme leader.
As of last week, multiple central government departments were still publishing information through their Whatsapp groups.
Two spokesmen for the Afghan government did not respond to AFP'S requests to comment on the decision.
In Ghazni province, located between the capital Kabul and the seat of the supreme leader, Kandahar, government employees started signing off from their smartphones last Tuesday.
A municipal worker in Ghazni, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said they had been warned that anyone who uses a smartphone would be fired and face legal action.
In remote Badakhshan, in northeastern Afghanistan, an employee of the provincial information department said the penalty for breaking the rule was six months in prison.
“A verbal decree of the Islamic Emirate (of Afghanistan) was read out, and all heads of government departments were ordered that from today onwards, none of the employees of Taliban offices are allowed to use smartphones,” he said.
How widely the rule was implemented in Afghanistan and the scale of its impact were not entirely clear. But some government workers in Badakhshan told AFP it would be hard for them to do their jobs, speaking anonymously due to safety concerns.
A teacher described the decision as “truly heartbreaking” and said his smartphone was confiscated last Wednesday, before being returned with a warning not to carry it again.
“We need apps to stay connected with the students and hear their problems, for example, in the Whatsapp groups, they can share their classroom problems, questions related to their homework,” he said.
An employee from the provincial education department said he had been using AI tools on his smartphone to translate between his native Dari and Pashto, the language used in government communications.
“Then I would send the replies to the ministry. Now I don't know what will happen,” he told AFP.
The Taliban authorities have ruled for nearly five years according to a strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Last year, broadband access was restricted in several provinces for weeks, before the government unexpectedly cut off the internet and phone networks countrywide. Life ground to a halt for two days, paralyzing banks and causing chaos at hospitals, before communications were restored.
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2026-06-22 12:08:14 UTC
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"content": "Taliban bans smartphones for government employees\nOttawa Citizen\nJun 22, 2026\n\nKABUL • Government workers in different parts of Afghanistan have started switching off their smartphones, following an order that reportedly came from Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.\r\n\nA letter announcing the ban on smartphones for all government employees started circulating on social media earlier this month under the emblem of the Supreme Court, which has not responded to AFP'S requests to comment.\r\n\n“All the heads of departments in their respective provinces are advised to inform their staff, higher-ranking or lower-ranking, that using smartphones is strictly banned effective 17 June,” said the letter.\r\n\nIt referred to all employees of the military and civilian departments, mentioning that exemptions could only be granted by the supreme leader.\r\n\nAs of last week, multiple central government departments were still publishing information through their Whatsapp groups.\r\n\nTwo spokesmen for the Afghan government did not respond to AFP'S requests to comment on the decision.\r\n\nIn Ghazni province, located between the capital Kabul and the seat of the supreme leader, Kandahar, government employees started signing off from their smartphones last Tuesday.\r\n\nA municipal worker in Ghazni, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said they had been warned that anyone who uses a smartphone would be fired and face legal action.\r\n\nIn remote Badakhshan, in northeastern Afghanistan, an employee of the provincial information department said the penalty for breaking the rule was six months in prison.\r\n\n“A verbal decree of the Islamic Emirate (of Afghanistan) was read out, and all heads of government departments were ordered that from today onwards, none of the employees of Taliban offices are allowed to use smartphones,” he said.\r\n\nHow widely the rule was implemented in Afghanistan and the scale of its impact were not entirely clear. But some government workers in Badakhshan told AFP it would be hard for them to do their jobs, speaking anonymously due to safety concerns.\r\n\nA teacher described the decision as “truly heartbreaking” and said his smartphone was confiscated last Wednesday, before being returned with a warning not to carry it again.\r\n\n“We need apps to stay connected with the students and hear their problems, for example, in the Whatsapp groups, they can share their classroom problems, questions related to their homework,” he said.\r\n\nAn employee from the provincial education department said he had been using AI tools on his smartphone to translate between his native Dari and Pashto, the language used in government communications.\r\n\n“Then I would send the replies to the ministry. Now I don't know what will happen,” he told AFP.\r\n\nThe Taliban authorities have ruled for nearly five years according to a strict interpretation of Islamic law.\r\n\nLast year, broadband access was restricted in several provinces for weeks, before the government unexpectedly cut off the internet and phone networks countrywide. Life ground to a halt for two days, paralyzing banks and causing chaos at hospitals, before communications were restored.\n\nShared via PressReader\n\nconnecting people through news",
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