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Afghanistan's Taliban government has implemented a nationwide ban on smartphone usage for all civil servants, according to a military court order. The directive, effective from June 16, explicitly prohibits the use of smartphones by officials across military and civilian institutions, including judges. Violators risk having their devices confiscated and destroyed, alongside facing other legal punishments.

The Taliban administration has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the ban. However, government employees report that the restriction has already significantly disrupted official work, with many administrative processes grinding to a halt. This is largely due to the reliance on mobile phones for communication through platforms like WhatsApp and email for conducting daily business.

In Panjshir province, the governor's office has announced the immediate implementation of the ban within all its facilities. Meanwhile, rights advocates express grave concerns, stating that smartphones represent one of the few remaining tools for Afghans to access education, document human rights abuses, communicate privately, and obtain uncensored information. They view this ban as another step in the Taliban's increasing control over public life since their return to power in August 2021, a period marked by sweeping restrictions on women, girls, media, and civil society.

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The impact has been so significant that many administrative processes have effectively come to a halt, because most official work was previously carried out through mobile phones, WhatsApp, and email.