Media in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has established press, broadcasting and journalism functions, but they operate in a fragmented and repressive environment. The formal legal framework and the current de facto practice do not reliably provide the same rights or procedures. Conditions also differ substantially between Kabul and other urban areas, provincial centres and rural or remote locations. Dari and Pashto dominate public media, while local reporting and informal sharing often fill gaps left by weak connectivity, limited electricity, low literacy or the absence of local services. The 2006 Law on Mass Media refers to freedom of thought and speech, the right to seek, obtain and disseminate information, and confidentiality of sources except by court order. Print media require registration. Radio and television generally require a licence and frequency, and the concessionaire and editor-in-chief carry defined responsibilities. Under the formal framework, complaints can move to a Media Evaluation Commission and then to a court. The Ministry of Information and Culture also publishes material relating to the Public Media Act, the access to information law and copyright law. The practical force of these provisions is uncertain under the Taliban de facto system, especially for criticism, protests, women's rights, security, economic conditions and education. The Ministry of Information and Culture, commonly called MoIC, handles media policy, licensing, publications and media-related administration. Its Deputy Ministry for Publications and provincial Departments of Information and Culture perform related functions. Other bodies affecting media include the Taliban Media Violations Commission, Radio Television Afghanistan, or RTA, Bakhtar News Agency, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority, the General Directorate of Intelligence and the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. RTA is the national state radio and television institution under MoIC. Afghanistan has no reliably effective independent media regulator, national ombudsman or dependable journalist-protection and complaint system established by the available evidence. Journalists and media workers face unclear rules, prior censorship, self-censorship, pressure connected with foreign or diaspora media, interrogation, detention, violence and financial or administrative sanctions. Live political broadcasts and some political or economic programmes have been restricted. Interview partners may need prior approval. Between 15 August 2021 and 30 September 2024, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights recorded 336 journalists and media workers affected by violations, including 256 arbitrary arrests or detentions, 130 cases of torture or ill-treatment and 75 threats or acts of intimidation. The Afghanistan Journalists and Media Centre reported at least 207 violations in the year 1404, which ran from 18 March 2025 to 17 March 2026. Women face additional restrictions involving hijab and face covering, mahram requirements, transport, fieldwork and public appearances. Women's voices and participation in press conferences have sometimes been blocked. UNESCO reported in 2025 that more than 80% of women journalists had lost their jobs. The risks depend on gender, subject matter and public visibility, so a public appearance or publication should not be treated as evidence of protection. Broadcasting remains a major practical source of news and entertainment. In February 2025, MoIC reported 470 active outlets: 84 television stations, 273 radio stations, 57 news agencies and 52 print outlets. These figures were reported by the institution and were not independently verified. Private radio and television stations operate alongside RTA, but they face licensing, content-control and suspension risks. Radio is especially useful where electricity, internet access, device ownership, literacy or purchasing power limit other forms of media use. Women-led radio projects can provide a functional and more protected channel in situations where direct public participation is restricted. There is no reliably documented independent local streaming equivalent or stable nationwide streaming guarantee. People use satellite television, online video, YouTube and social platforms when bandwidth, electricity, devices, internet providers and payment routes allow it. According to the available United Nations reporting, YouTube content creators have required a licence since 2022, with a reported fee of 4,000 AFN for three years and a 10,000 AFN warranty. Current fees and enforcement should be checked locally because administrative practice can change. Social-media access is unstable and carries legal and personal risks. TikTok and multiplayer PUBG were banned on 21 April 2022. Restrictions on Facebook were announced, and restrictions affecting Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat were documented in October 2025. Even when a platform remains technically reachable, account monitoring, General Directorate of Intelligence or morality-police attention, doxxing, detention and self-censorship can affect use. Afghanistan does not have a reliably available independent appeal or redress body for platform restrictions or media-related security action. A virtual private network or other bypass method does not provide a secure or legally dependable solution. Connectivity interruptions can affect news, online video, emergency communication and public participation at the same time. Access Now recorded four shutdowns in 2025 affecting more than 43 million people regionally or nationally, including disruptions to internet, telephone, digital communication, fibre and Wi-Fi services, as well as a nationwide blackout. Rural and poorer communities generally face weaker access than urban users. Actual costs can include a device, electricity, mobile data, Wi-Fi or fibre, transport, a licence, a warranty and an optional subscription. Providers, tariffs, licensing charges, deadlines and provincial enforcement are not uniform or consistently documented. Young people's media access depends on age, gender, residence, income, electricity, literacy, devices and network coverage. Girls and women may depend more heavily on radio, satellite television and online learning media because education, employment and mobility restrictions reduce other options. Begum Radio, Begum TV and Tabasum are documented functional alternatives for women and girls. Afghanistan has no single independently enforceable nationwide youth or child media-protection framework established by the available research. When children appear in reporting or online content, UNICEF guidance calls for protection of identity, dignity and context, informed consent and prevention of avoidable harm. Participation remains possible through call-ins, community radio, local reporting, press associations, digital publishing and citizen feedback, but censorship, surveillance, mobility restrictions, gender rules, detention and violence sharply limit the safe use of these channels. Sources and contributors require particular care with identity, metadata, contact methods and device separation. The conditions described here reflect information researched on 4 September 2026; local orders, platform access, network availability and enforcement can change quickly.