The Afghan Taliban leadership has reportedly issued a fresh directive tightening restrictions on smartphone use among its members and government employees, reinforcing an already strict ideological framework governing digital access and personal communication.
According to a document attributed to the Taliban leadership, a verbal order has been circulated banning the use of smartphones by group members and state employees. Individuals found violating the directive are reportedly described as offenders and may face proceedings in military courts.
The order has been distributed through the Taliban’s Justice Ministry to military court officials operating under the group’s judicial structure across multiple regional zones. Police commanders and intelligence officials have also been informed of the directive to ensure enforcement.
As part of the implementation mechanism, officials have been instructed to fully enforce the ban and provide confirmation reports to senior leadership. A detailed monitoring system has also been introduced, including records of names, positions, workplaces, mobile networks and phone numbers of individuals subject to oversight.
The directive further requires supervisors to certify compliance among personnel under their control, reflecting an expanding system of internal monitoring and administrative control.
This latest measure builds on a series of earlier restrictions imposed by the Taliban on modern communication tools, including limitations on smartphone usage and on the publication of images depicting living beings. In previous statements, the group’s leadership had already encouraged reduced reliance on smartphones.
Recent instructions have also extended similar restrictions to educational institutions, with students reportedly being barred from bringing smartphones into schools and religious seminaries.
Separately, senior officials within the group’s higher education structure have previously characterized smartphones as harmful to Islamic practice, describing them in ideological terms and advocating strict limitations on their use in universities and offices.
The latest directive reflects a continued pattern of rigid regulatory control over digital technology, reinforcing the group’s broader conservative framework governing social behavior, communication, and institutional oversight.
