Ban on Smartphones in Schools; A Sign of Taliban Concerns Over Free Flow of Information?

Kabul Times News | Report: Shahpur Nayebzada

Reports from several Afghan provinces, including Balkh, Kandahar, Helmand, Nimroz, Kabul, Wardak, Ghazni and Uruzgan, indicate that school teachers have been ordered to hand over their smartphones. Sources say the move was made on the direct orders of Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and is set to be gradually implemented in other provinces of the country.

Some observers and civil society activists see the decision as an attempt to restrict access to information and prevent the publication of independent reports, images and narratives about the situation in Afghanistan. They believe that smartphones and the Internet have become one of the most important tools for citizens to document events and transmit information in recent years.

Experts also say that access to the Internet and social networks in various countries has played an important role in public awareness, organizing civic activities and the free flow of information. Therefore, the new restrictions could increase concerns about freedom of expression and access to information in Afghanistan.

T-Alban has not yet officially explained the reasons for this decision. However, critics believe that restrictions on communication tools cannot completely prevent the access of the younger generation to technology and the digital space; a generation that has linked a significant part of its life, education and communication with online tools.