KABUL (Kubha News) – Najibullah Haqani, the acting minister of telecommunications and information technology of the Taliban government, has announced a policy to restrict the use of Facebook in Afghanistan, with the possibility of a complete ban on the social media platform if approved by their leadership.
Haqani in exclusive interview with Tolo News cited excessive usage of Facebook by youth as a reason for diverting them away from education.
The move to limit Facebook comes as almost three years have passed since higher education institutions above the sixth grade have been closed to girls, and six months since girls have been barred from attending universities.
With restrictions on accessing media by the Taliban government, many Facebook users in Afghanistan, especially youths rely on Facebook to get news and information. This is especially true as many turn to social media, particularly Facebook, for free access to news and events.
Meta company, encompassing social media networks like Facebook, Instagram, and messaging app WhatsApp, imposed restrictions on the use of their platforms by Taliban officials and militants personnel in June 2022.
The company cited preventing Taliban propaganda through these networks and blocked accounts of all government departments and media under Taliban control, including national television.
Following that, the Taliban leader ordered the Supreme Court to review, in coordination with the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology, how Meta’s social networks are used and to decide on their activities in Afghanistan.
The policy to block Facebook by the Taliban is nearing finalization, as the group has increasingly turned to former X/Twitter users and other social media platforms.