New restrictions have been reported on some social media platforms in Afghanistan, barely a week after a two-day nationwide blackout disrupted internet and telecommunications services in the country.
According to some social media users in Kabul, filters have allegedly been applied to restrict certain types of content on sites including Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.
It is unclear however what type of filters have been applied and what sort of content is subject to filtering.
Some social media users in Kabul who spoke to AnewZ said that videos on their Facebook accounts are no longer viewable, while access to Instagram has also been restricted.
Saboor Haideri, a social media user and resident of Kabul, told AnewZ that since Wednesday morning, access to Facebook and Instagram has been restricted.
Saboor said, “Since yesterday, most of the content on Facebook is not accessible. I can see some Facebook posts but cannot view videos on Facebook. However, Instagram has been completely banned.”
On Wednesday evening, cybersecurity organisation NetBlocks confirmed the recent restrictions.
In a social media post on X, NetBlocks stated, “Metrics show social media platforms Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat are now restricted on multiple providers in Afghanistan.”
These new restrictions on social media content come just a week after internet and telecommunications services were cut off across the country for two days.
The move caused widespread problems for millions of citizens, and its end was greeted with relief and celebration.
The 48-hour blackout disrupted almost all aspects of life, including businesses, flights, health centres, as well as access to emergency services and humanitarian aid.
Taliban government officials have not yet publicly commented on the recent restrictions but had attributed last week's 48 hour blackout to technical difficulties.
Last month, after the internet was shut down in northern Afghanistan, the spokesperson for the governor in the northern province of Balkh said internet access was being blocked due to “immoral” content on the internet.
Kabul resident Saboor Haideri said, “These new restrictions are something to worry about. What I’m really worried about is how much more restriction the government will impose on us.”
AnewZ is yet to receive a responsde from officials in Kabul about recent restrictions and last week's disruption.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a full U.S. trade embargo on Spain on Tuesday after the European ...
An Israeli strike on a four-storey residential building has killed at least four people and wounded six others ...
The widening war between Iran, U.S. and Israel is leaving civilians and soldiers caught in its wake. Thousands are stranded across the Gulf, flight...
Kazakhstan has vowed to speed up its investigation into the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) crash near Aktau, as mounti...
Strikes across the Middle East are intensifying, fuelling travel disruption, driving up global energy prices and forcing diplomatic missions ...
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a full U.S. trade embargo on Spain on Tuesday after the European and NATO ally refused to let the U.S. military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.
An Israeli strike on a four-storey residential building has killed at least four people and wounded six others in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek with rescue teams working to pull families from beneath the rubble, state news agency NNA said on Wednesday.
Kazakhstan has vowed to speed up its investigation into the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) crash near Aktau, as mounting diplomatic pressure and geopolitical tensions push the disaster further into the international spotlight.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States has a “virtually unlimited supply” of munitions and is capable of sustaining military action indefinitely, as the conflict with Iran entered its fourth day.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars "forever"; in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
Türkiye raised its security level for Turkish-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to Level 3 on Sunday (2 March). The development follows Iranian restrictions on shipping after U.S. and Israeli strikes and confirmation of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov following recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on targets in Iran, as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a full U.S. trade embargo on Spain on Tuesday after the European and NATO ally refused to let the U.S. military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.
An Israeli strike on a four-storey residential building has killed at least four people and wounded six others in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek with rescue teams working to pull families from beneath the rubble, state news agency NNA said on Wednesday.
The widening war between Iran, U.S. and Israel is leaving civilians and soldiers caught in its wake. Thousands are stranded across the Gulf, flights are grounded, and Washington has confirmed the first American troops killed as fears grow of further casualties.
Seven opposition parties in Georgia have formed a coordinated alliance ahead of upcoming elections, saying it aims to challenge the dominance of the ruling Georgian Dream party. The government has dismissed the move as a rebranding of familiar political figures.
Türkiye’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has described the ongoing U.S.–Israeli military campaign against Iran as a “clear violation of international law”, in his strongest remarks yet on the escalating regional crisis.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment