Taliban want to ban TikTok because they say the app promotes violence

The Taliban have announced that they intend to ban TikTok and PUBG mobile apps on the grounds that they cause violence.

Afghanistan's ministry of telecommunication made the announcement on Saturday (17 September) that the hugely popular apps would be banned in the country within a matter of weeks, blocking people from being able to use them.

The decision to ban the apps came after a meeting between the telecommunications ministry and the Sharia law enforcement administration.

Siraj Ahmad / Alamy Stock Photo

The video sharing site and the hugely popular battle royale video game aren't allowed because they were 'misleading' the youth of today.

The Taliban first signalled their intention to ban the apps back in April, claiming the popular video game 'misleads the younger generation' and that TikTok 'publishes immoral material and programs'.

Afghanistan's deputy spokesman, Inamullah Samangani, said TikTok was home to 'filthy content' which was 'not consistent with Islamic laws'.

He added that they received a lot of complaints about people 'wasting their time' on the sites.

At peak times, PUBG counts up to 100,000 players from Afghanistan, while TikTok is clearly popular enough among the public for it to have earned a ban.

The plan is to ban both apps within the next 90 days, with TikTok becoming prohibited within a month while PUBG mobile will be gone in three months, as reported by ABP Live.

Since the Taliban regained control last year, they have established their own suicide bomber brigade. One of their senior commanders even said some of their soldiers were sad not to die in the takeover as they might have 'missed their chance at martyrdom'.

Postmodern Studio / Alamy Stock Photo

The Taliban have been banning numerous things since coming back into power.

Last year, women were banned from appearing in TV shows and some prominent female figures even had marked their doors. And In March this year, young girls were stopped from going to school.

In an attempt to show that they'd moved on from some of their ultraconservative views, the Taliban announced a general amnesty and encouraged women to join the government.

Samangani said at the time: "The Islamic Emirate doesn’t want women to be victims. They should be in government structure according to Shariah law.”

However, just this year, the Taliban has decided to dissolve Afghanistan's human rights commission after deeming it 'unnecessary'.

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