Documents obtained by Al Arabiya.net and Al Hadath.net reveal that the Taliban government has broadened its restrictions on smartphone usage within government, security, and educational institutions. This move indicates a growing tightness in handling communication and information tools in Afghanistan.
According to a document attributed to Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, a "verbal decree" has been issued prohibiting Taliban members and government employees from using smartphones. Violators are deemed "criminals" and subject to military court proceedings.
The decree has been communicated to military court leaders in the presence of security chiefs and intelligence heads in some areas, assigning them the task of monitoring enforcement and reporting back to Taliban leadership.
A Tracking System in Place
The document outlines not only verbal warnings but also a written monitoring mechanism. It includes a table to collect data from officials and employees, detailing names, communication networks, job roles, workplaces, phone numbers, and the method of enforcing the decree, whether through "surrender" or "destruction" of phones, plus a column indicating if subordinates are also complying.
Al Arabiya.net and Al Hadath.net have acquired images and videos of Taliban members destroying their smartphones, evoking memories among Afghans reminiscent of practices during the Taliban's first regime from 1996 to 2001, when broadcasting equipment was banned and destroyed.
Sources report growing concern within government institutions over the directive, especially with oral instructions in some provinces prohibiting employees and visitors from bringing smartphones into government departments.
In Herat, western Afghanistan, local sources confirm intensified phone inspections following recent protests over the detention of women and girls for dress code violations, searching devices for protest-related images or videos.
Ban Extends to Schools
Two documents show the ban's extension to schools, with a directive from Kabul's Department of Education dated May 19, prohibiting students from bringing and using smartphones in both public and religious schools.
The second document, issued by the Islamic Education Department on May 23, reinforced this directive and requested regular reporting to the department regarding implementation.
The Taliban's Ministry of Education justified the decision by emphasizing the need to maintain a "healthy," "quiet," and "safe" educational environment, suggesting that smartphones disrupt learning and cause classroom disturbances.
Command Over Image and Information
This smartphone ban is part of a broader strategy by Taliban leaders aiming to control imagery and information flow. Previously, the Taliban imposed smartphone restrictions in some provinces, like Panjshir, in August 2025, threatening to confiscate or terminate employees carrying smartphones in government domains.
The Taliban Minister of Higher Education, Nada Mohammad Nadim, once labeled smartphones as one of the "three primary enemies of Muslims," leading to a prohibition on their use in universities and educational institutions, excluding university and educational center heads.
Observers believe the new decree indicates the Taliban's growing paranoia over potential leaks exposing corruption, security violations, or embarrassing conduct by its members, along with security concerns over geolocation tracking via smartphones.
Instead of addressing root causes of corruption and violations, the Taliban seem to be targeting the documentation tools themselves.
This falls within a series of wider media-related decisions. On September 29, 2025, the Taliban completely cut off internet and telephone services in Afghanistan, restoring it gradually by October 1 after two days of disruption that affected aviation, banking, businesses, and international connectivity.
The Taliban announced a "Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" law in August 2024, which included media guidelines banning images of living beings, covering humans and animals.
This ban on imagery has been gradually implemented across most provinces, prompting local media and official channels to cease broadcasting images of people and animals. Instead, they now display nature footage or faceless content. Government channels in some areas of Afghanistan have shifted to audio-only broadcasting under the name "Voice of Sharia," signaling the Taliban's shift from content restriction to controlling the means of production and dissemination.