Clicky

Resist censorship. Reject surveillance. Reclaim your voice.

Stay informed on censorship, cancel culture, and surveillance, and learn how to take your digital rights back.

Resist censorship. Reject surveillance. Reclaim your voice.

Stay informed on censorship, cancel culture, and surveillance, and learn how to take your digital rights back.

Taliban Bans Political Debate, Tightens Grip on Media

Political reporting has been reduced to reciting lines vetted by the Taliban’s censors.

Vibrant comic-style speech bubbles in red, green, white, and yellow with halftone patterns overlapping each other on a colorful background.

If you’re tired of censorship and surveillance, subscribe to Reclaim The Net.

Afghanistan’s media landscape has come under even tighter control as the Taliban moves to outlaw political debate across all platforms, cementing its campaign to quash free expression.

The latest decree compels newspapers, broadcasters, online outlets, and social media channels to gain advance permission from the newly formed Political Program Oversight Committee before disseminating any political material.

The sweeping order, issued under the banner Management of Political Programs in Afghanistan, places virtually all political speech under the Taliban’s direct supervision.

The committee is tasked with vetting content, preparing legal reviews, monitoring compliance, and handing down penalties to outlets that fail to meet its strict requirements.

The rules stipulate that “analysis must be approved by the official oversight committee before airing or publication,” turning any independent scrutiny of politics into a high-risk undertaking.

These restrictions dictate that anyone offering commentary on government figures must do so “respectfully, within legal frameworks, and free from defamation or distortion,” while relying solely on evidence from official sources.

Analysts are forbidden from contradicting Taliban policy and must carry ID cards issued by the regime’s Directorate of Broadcast Affairs. Even those already cleared to speak must seek fresh approval before appearing on any program.

The Taliban has warned that programming must conform to Sharia law, uphold the principles of the Islamic Emirate, and comply with national law. It made its position clear: “No content should be anti-Islamic Emirate.” The threat of revoking media licenses looms over any outlet that dares to defy these new dictates.

If you’re tired of censorship and surveillance, subscribe to Reclaim The Net.

Logo with a red shield enclosing a stylized globe and three red arrows pointing upward to the right, next to the text 'RECLAIM THE NET' with 'RECLAIM' in gray and 'THE NET' in red

Resist censorship. Reject surveillance. Reclaim your voice.

Stay informed on censorship, cancel culture, and surveillance, and learn how to take your digital rights back.

Logo with a red shield enclosing a stylized globe and three red arrows pointing upward to the right, next to the text 'RECLAIM THE NET' with 'RECLAIM' in gray and 'THE NET' in red

Resist censorship. Reject surveillance. Reclaim your voice.

Stay informed on censorship, cancel culture, and surveillance, and learn how to take your digital rights back.

Share this post