Taliban Tightens Media Control, Fuels Fear, Self-Censorship in Afghanistan

Since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, Afghanistan's media landscape has faced increasingly severe restrictions, culminating in a new directive that effectively bans independent political debate across all platforms. The Taliban's Ministry of Information and Culture now requires all political programs, guests, and topics to receive prior approval from a government oversight committee, with analysts mandated to hold Taliban-issued ID cards and avoid any views contradicting official policies. This policy formalizes prior censorship measures, intensifies fear, and fuels widespread self-censorship among journalists, significantly undermining press freedom. The Taliban justify these restrictions as necessary to uphold Islamic principles, national unity, and prevent sectarian division, but the rules severely curtail free expression and independent scrutiny. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has warned that these measures worsen an already constrained media environment, signaling a sharp decline in Afghanistan's freedom of expression and independent media operation. Media outlets now face harsh penalties, including license revocations, for any content deemed anti-Islamic Emirate or critical of the regime, marking a decisive step in the Taliban's dismantling of Afghanistan's free press.