With the Taliban back in control of Afghanistan, the online safety of the country’s children and girls is under serious threat. The Taliban’s extremist policies severely restrict children’s freedoms and access to the internet, while also exposing them to increased dangers such as exploitation and misinformation.
Under the Taliban, children’s use of smartphones and the internet is heavily monitored. The Taliban rigorously enforces Islamic law limiting children’s online activities. Girls in particular have lost access to education and opportunities that would enable safe internet use. With schools closed to teenage girls, important digital literacy and safety skills are not being learned.
Meanwhile, the internet opens children up to Islamic State recruiters seeking to radicalize vulnerable youth. Extremist messaging can find its way even into heavily censored Taliban-controlled internet. Children are also at increased risk of predators seeking to groom them in online chatrooms or forums.
The Taliban permits and even encourages child marriage, resulting in the frequent abuse of child brides who lack protection or rights. Girls in these circumstances are extremely susceptible to further exploitation through unmonitored internet use.
To uphold international human rights standards, the Taliban must allow Afghan children to access the internet and technology in safe ways. Censorship should be limited and focus on preventing access to dangerous content like extremism. Digital literacy programs are urgently required to equip children with knowledge of online risks. Mechanisms for reporting online threats must be established.
The international community maintains leverage to pressure the Taliban to implement such changes. Much more must be done to ensure the online safety of Afghanistan’s children who are growing up under totalitarian Taliban rule. Their protection from harm must remain a top priority.