Internet service has been shut down in Afghanistan, according to the international internet monitoring service NetBlocks.

“Afghanistan is now in the midst of a total internet blackout as Taliban authorities move to implement morality measures,” NetBlocks said on its Telegram account.

In mid-September, the Taliban, who have seized power in Afghanistan, had banned fiber-optic internet in Balkh Province "to prevent immorality." This decision was made by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, provincial government spokesman Haji Attaullah Zaid told the AP. The measure led to a complete shutdown of Wi-Fi in government institutions, the private sector, and residential buildings in Balkh. Meanwhile, mobile internet, which is much slower, remains available.

Zaid had said at the time that Afghanistan would build “an alternative to meet the needs” that would not encourage people to “immoral behavior.” He did not elaborate on why Balkh Province was chosen for this Wi-Fi shutdown, or whether this practice would spread to other provinces.

This cable network shutdown has affected the entire northern part of Afghanistan, Reuters reports.

These restrictions have affected 13 provinces, Amu TV claimed. Its sources said this cable internet ban is part of a broader Taliban campaign to tighten censorship and surveillance of people. For example, the Taliban authorities have ordered telecom operators to provide intelligence agencies with access to users’ calls and data.