Taliban Ban Smartphones for All Government Employees

DID Press: Reports from northern Afghanistan say the Taliban have imposed a sweeping ban on smartphone use for all government employees, extending restrictions beyond workplaces to include private homes and public spaces.

According to local sources in Balkh province, the directive applies to all individuals receiving salaries from the Taliban administration, with no exceptions granted.

The order reportedly warns that any smartphone found in the possession of employees—whether at work, at home, or in public—will be confiscated and destroyed.

Officials say violators may face referral to military courts, while enforcement of the directive has been assigned to the military judiciary and the Taliban’s enforcement authorities responsible for implementing decrees.

The measure represents one of the most extensive digital restrictions reported under Taliban rule, significantly tightening oversight of communications among state employees.