Afghanistan’s Digital Reset: Is the Taliban Building a North Korea–Style Internet?

AI-generated image

On the evening of 29 September 2025, the Taliban switched off the internet across Afghanistan. I tried and failed to reach friends through mobile calls. All online services, phone connections, and even the websites of government ministries went dark. Officially, providers claimed the disruption was due to “government orders.” Unofficially, it sent a chilling signal: Afghanistan may be on the verge of a profound digital reset.

Authoritarian regimes need the internet as much as they fear it.

My view is that the Taliban will not shut down the internet permanently. Authoritarian regimes need the internet as much as they fear it. The Taliban are no exception. On the one hand, modern governance — from financial transactions to international communications — depends on connectivity. On the other hand, unrestricted access unleashes uncontrollable flows of information, voices of dissent, and evidence of abuses. This contradiction lies at the core of the Taliban’s emerging digital strategy.

Learning from Other Authoritarian Models

There are three distinct models that authoritarian governments have adopted to control the internet.