Amu: Afghanistan ranked 175th out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, maintaining one of the lowest positions globally as press freedoms remain severely restricted under Taliban rule, according to Reporters Without Borders. Within Afghanistan, access to independent information is increasingly restricted, with many people relying on foreign or exile-based media when
8am: Several journalists working under Taliban rule have expressed concern over the intensifying crackdown on the media and the complete restriction of access to information. According to them, no media outlet under Taliban control can publish the existing realities and can only disseminate content that the Taliban permit. They emphasize that journalists in Afghanistan cannot
Amu: Taliban have revoked the operating licences of an unspecified number of organizations that support media and journalists, while extending the licences of three others, according to a statement from the Taliban-run Ministry of Information and Culture. The ministry said the decision followed a review of “repeated complaints” of media outlets and journalists against “media
Afghanistan International: The Taliban have expanded a ban on publishing and broadcasting images of living beings to 24 provinces across Afghanistan, further tightening restrictions on media and freedom of expression, the Afghanistan Journalists Center said. In a statement issued on Thursday, January 8, the Afghanistan Journalists Center said the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of
8am: Sources from the Afghanistan Analysts Network say that important subjects such as human rights, democracy, electoral systems, constitutional law, sociology, and ethics philosophy are no longer being taught, and many books written by women or Iranian authors are also on the banned list. Additionally, books about Afghanistan’s contemporary history, the Taliban, Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, and
Afghanistan International: As the world marks World Television Day on, the Taliban’s leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, continues efforts to curb visual media in Afghanistan. Television broadcasting in Afghanistan began in 1978 with the establishment of National Radio and Television under the Soviet-backed government, an institution now fully controlled by the Taliban. Over the past four years,
Amu: Taliban have effectively dismantled media freedom in Afghanistan since seizing power in August 2021, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Thursday, citing systematic surveillance, censorship, arbitrary detentions and torture of journalists, with women in the media bearing the brunt of the crackdown. The 2025 report, based on dozens of interviews with journalists
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi October 8, 2025 Internet watchdog NetBlocks has confirmed reports from inside Afghanistan that several major social media sites have been “intentionally restricted.” “Metrics show social media platforms Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat are now restricted on multiple providers in Afghanistan; the incident follows last week’s telecoms blackout and is the latest in
Afghanistan International: Locals in Kabul, Parwan, Balkh, Samangan, and Faryab said the social media disruption began recently. Some users also reported being unable to log into Snapchat. Click here to read more (external link). Related Internet Connectivity for Families in Southern Afghanistan Severely Limited
Afghanistan International: The Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education has banned professors and administrative staff below grade four from using smartphones at universities, citing concerns that mobile phone use “causes distraction and complicates work.” Click here to read more (external link).