Taliban order ban on smartphones as officials shown destroying devices

Stills from a video showing smartphones being destroyed by the Taliban after restrictions on their use were ordered. Critics fear a nationwide ban could follow Photograph: Handout

The Taliban have ordered a sweeping ban on the use of smartphones by government officials – in what some analysts say could foreshadow broader, population-level restrictions.

In a directive issued by the Taliban’s military courts and reviewed by the Guardian, the ban was to take effect this week and prohibits “high rank, low rank, general mujahideen, or service staff” from using mobile phones.