Kabul, Apr 7 (EFE).- The de facto government of Taliban has finalized a plan to restrict or block access to Facebook in Afghanistan.
Telecommunication Ministry spokesperson Enayat Ullah Alokozai told EFE on Sunday that the social media network contradicted the principles of the Taliban government and restricted government-related stuff.
He said the government has not stated that Facebook would be completely blocked, but rather that work has been undertaken to determine how to go about it.
“When a country’s government cannot benefit from a platform, that platform may not be efficient,” he said.
He said the planned restrictions would involve filtering out content that “goes against our cultural and religious beliefs.”
Alokozai said many young Afghans were spending too much time on Facebook, “which hinders their education and exposes them to content that contradicts our societal beliefs and cultures.”
Najibullah Haqqani, the Taliban Minister for Telecommunication and Technology, stated in an interview that the rationale for filtering or blocking Facebook is “the infiltration of unethical content into our society, where our respected elders are subjected to abuse and offensive language.”
“Many of our youth are illiterate and spend time and money on these platforms… Our policy aims to restrict, filter, or block Facebook. What’s the problem if it’s blocked?”
Since returning to power, the Taliban have imposed numerous restrictions on freedom of speech and media.
Activists say that social media, including Facebook, play a crucial role for Afghan people voicing their concerns.
“This is the only channel through which we can raise our voices for our rights. The Taliban want to conceal their oppression, corruption, and injustice,” social activist Nahid Noori told EFE. EFE
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