"The Taliban's Decision to Block Facebook: A Restraint on Freedom of Expression in Afghanistan"

Translator: Nilam Noorzad

In a recent conversation with a private media outlet in Kabul, Najibullah Haqqani, the acting Minister of Communications and Information Technology for the Taliban, affirmed the finalization of plans to block the social network Facebook in Afghanistan.

In this discourse, Haqqani expounded: "Our youth, as well as yours, find themselves in circumstances where they are academically weak, with the majority being illiterate. Nevertheless, they continue to waste their time and money on these platforms (social networks), benefiting the company to the detriment of the nation. Therefore, a policy has been devised to restrict and block Facebook."

The implementation of this Taliban decision remains undisclosed. However, some informed individuals have dubbed this decision as another constraint on freedom of expression in Afghanistan and have condemned it.

In response to the Taliban's decision, a Facebook user named Nematullah Akhundzada expressed: "Schools are closed, courses are closed, education is closed, social activities are closed, and now Facebook is closed. Over time, everything will be closed, and life during Adam's era will come to an end. You may reign during these days in Afghanistan, but you cannot control something beyond Afghanistan. This gate is not like courses and universities that you can close whenever you wish."

Additionally, the Afghan Journalists Federation in Exile has denounced the Taliban's action, considering it a blatant violation of freedom of expression. The federation urges countries supporting freedom of expression to intervene and prevent the Taliban from implementing this decision.

Simultaneously, with the Taliban's dominance in Afghanistan, multilayered restrictions have been imposed on the media. The plan to block Facebook marks another successful step in controlling the flow of information in the country.

Meanwhile, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, under US counterterrorism laws, prohibits individuals affiliated with the Taliban from using the social network and has blocked accounts associated with Taliban offices and members