Tag: Taliban – surveillance – monitoring – security

Taliban’s Expanding Surveillance: How Millions Are Being Monitored

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A Growing Digital Surveillance State

The Taliban has rapidly expanded its surveillance capabilities, installing 90,000 CCTV cameras across Kabul to monitor the daily lives of 6 million people. This extensive network can track everything from vehicle license plates to facial expressions, allowing authorities to observe public movements in real-time.

Khalid Zadran, spokesperson for the Taliban police chief, revealed in an interview with the BBC, “We monitor the entire city of Kabul from here.” He added that if suspicious or criminal activity is detected in specific neighborhoods, local police are immediately alerted.

While the Taliban claims that this level of surveillance is necessary for crime prevention, critics argue that it is also being used to enforce the group’s strict interpretation of morality under Sharia law. The system’s ability to track individuals through facial recognition—categorizing them by age, gender, and whether they have a beard or are wearing a mask—raises concerns about privacy and human rights violations.

Facial Recognition and Advanced Tracking

The technology in use allows authorities to zoom in on individuals from kilometers away. Zadran emphasized the precision of the system, stating, “On clear days, we can zoom in on individuals who are kilometers away.”

Facial recognition software integrated into the network categorizes people automatically, providing the police with detailed insights into the population’s movements. Critics fear this could be used to target individuals based on their adherence to Taliban-imposed morality laws.

International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have expressed concerns over this mass surveillance. Amnesty has warned that deploying cameras “under the guise of ‘national security’ sets a template for the Taliban to continue their draconian policies that violate the fundamental rights of people in Afghanistan—especially women in public spaces.”

Fear Among Afghan Women and Activists

For Afghan women, this new wave of surveillance brings additional fear. Many worry that cameras will be used to track and penalize those who fail to comply with Taliban dress codes, including mandatory hijabs.

Activists, particularly those who have protested against Taliban policies, fear that these surveillance systems will make it even more difficult for them to operate safely. Many who were already living in secrecy due to fear of persecution may now find it nearly impossible to move undetected.

Despite these concerns, the Taliban insists that only the city police use the surveillance system, not the morality police—the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. However, given the history of the Taliban’s strict enforcement of Sharia law, this assurance has done little to ease fears.

Forced Payments for Surveillance Cameras

Beyond concerns about privacy, many Kabul residents have also reported being forced to pay for the installation of these cameras. Shella (name changed), a resident of central Kabul, shared her experience:

“The Taliban demanded thousands of Afghanis from each household to pay for the cameras installed near our homes. If families refused, they were threatened with water and power cuts within three days. We had to take loans to cover the costs,” she said.

She expressed frustration over the government’s priorities, adding, “People are starving—what good are these cameras to them?”

The financial burden of funding this surveillance system has angered many residents, who are already struggling to survive under Afghanistan’s deteriorating economic conditions.

The Broader Context: Afghanistan’s Economic Struggles

Since the Taliban took power in August 2021, Afghanistan has faced severe economic hardships. International aid, which previously supported millions of Afghans, was cut off, leaving over 30 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.

Instead of prioritizing urgent economic relief, the Taliban has focused on strengthening its grip on power through digital surveillance and social control. This has intensified concerns among human rights organizations and foreign governments about the Taliban’s long-term intentions.

Global Reactions and Future Implications

The introduction of such an extensive surveillance system places Afghanistan among the ranks of nations known for heavy state monitoring, such as China and Iran. While the Taliban claims it is using technology for security and governance, critics argue that the system is designed to suppress dissent and enforce ideological control.

International watchdogs continue to monitor the situation, urging global leaders to address human rights abuses in Afghanistan. However, with the Taliban firmly in power and international attention divided among other global crises, Afghan citizens may have little hope of relief from the intrusive surveillance state.

As Afghanistan grapples with economic instability and rising authoritarian control, millions of people are left questioning their future under a government that prioritizes control over their fundamental rights.