# Taliban order Afghan government staff to stop using smartphones
*Event date: 2026-06-17*
Government workers in parts of Afghanistan have started switching off their smartphones after an order they say came from Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. The move appears to tighten the movement’s long-running effort to control information, communications and the behavior of public employees.
The report from AFP, carried by CTV News, said the order was being followed by staff in different parts of the country. It did not set out a nationwide rule in detail, but the immediate effect was visible: workers were already abandoning smartphones rather than keeping them active inside government offices.
That matters because smartphones are now basic work tools in many administrations. They are used for messaging, email, document sharing and coordination between local offices. A ban, or even a strong informal order to turn them off, changes how quickly officials can communicate and how much oversight they have over daily activity. It also signals a governing style that favors control over convenience.
The AFP account framed the change as an order attributed to Akhundzada himself, which is significant because he is the Taliban’s ultimate authority. In practice, that means the instruction is not just another administrative note from a ministry; it carries the weight of the movement’s top leadership. For government employees, compliance is likely to be the safe choice even if the full wording of the policy is not publicly known.
The broader context is familiar. Since returning to power, the Taliban has repeatedly used decrees and restrictions to shape public life, including the behavior of state employees. Measures that limit communication are especially consequential because they can make oversight, reporting and internal coordination more opaque. They can also complicate access to information for Afghans who depend on government services.
The AFP excerpt does not specify whether there are exemptions, penalties or a formal enforcement mechanism. It also does not say whether the rule applies equally to all public institutions or only to selected offices. But even without those details, the instruction itself is noteworthy because it reaches into everyday workplace habits. A smartphone is no longer merely a personal device; for many civil servants it is a portable office. Ordering it switched off is therefore more than a symbolic gesture.
For the Taliban, the policy may be presented as a matter of discipline or propriety. For the staff who must follow it, it is a reminder that the movement continues to make rule-by-rule intrusions into government life. And for outside observers, it is another sign that the state’s communication channels remain tightly controlled, with decisions flowing from the top down and little room for the ordinary digital routines that define most modern administrations.
