Will the Taliban restrict the Internet in Afghanistan?

When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan more than 20 years ago, between 1996 and 2001, the country remained disconnected from the world. The internet was completely banned, music was forbidden and women were not allowed to have any role in society. While the world was developing and modernizing, Afghans were kept away from all technological and modern concepts. 

Now, when the Taliban are back, people are afraid that their access to the internet will be restricted again. The World Bank estimates that since the internet first landed in the country almost 20 years ago, around 13.5% of Afghans currently have access to it.

What is different, however, is that the new Taliban have adopted a social media strategy for their campaign to take over and are actively posting on Twitter. Even though, Talibans are trying to portray a different and more ¨modern¨ image, Afghans are still afraid that much of their freedom will be taken away again. 

Can the Taliban monitor online activity?

Currently, internet access is still open, however, Afghans are worried about their online presence and have started to remove their social media accounts and anything that could connect them to the previous regime or NATO. They are also worried about Talibans monitoring their online activity and internet traffic. 

Based on findings from the website SensorTower that tracks the most popular apps on Google Play, people in Afghanistan are switching to apps such as Telegram, which has higher security and privacy. Facebook is already making changes to their apps and has blocked the access to their services for the Taliban group. They even introduced the one-click tool for its Afghan users, which allows them to lock their profiles. For Instagram, they have included new pop-up alerts for higher safety settings. Other big social media channels, such as LinkedIn and Twitter, are improving the privacy of their Afghan users and their online history. 

Do the Taliban have the resources to keep the internet working?
Afghanistan receives internet through a series of fiber optic cables that run north through Tajikistan, east through Pakistan and west through Iran. If the Taliban decide to keep the internet running, they will have to pay for the broadband the country sends through the cables. 

Although it is believed that the Taliban have the power and the technology to control the internet, block access to specific services or completely ban it, it is still unclear if they will take the radical approach from 20 years ago.