Date: 25/02/1404
The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice announced that it had arrested several TikTok users for what it described as “illegitimate” or “immoral” activities on social media. Ministry spokesperson Saif-ul-Islam Khyber released videos showing detainees publicly expressing regret and pledging to change their behavior.
In one video, a TikTok user known as “Haroon Pakura” is shown apologizing for talking to women on TikTok and vowing not to do so again. He urges women, both inside and outside Afghanistan, to stop appearing in his live discussions. The circumstances under which the video was recorded are unclear. Social media users reported that Haroon’s hair was forcibly shaved during his arrest.

Khyber warned that the Taliban consider “ideological deviation,” insults, ethnic prejudice, and the use of social media contrary to religious values to be crimes. He stated that social media should only be used for “education, reliable news, and legitimate business.”

Separately, Taliban intelligence in Baghlan Province arrested Sher Ali Mubarez, a well-known TikToker, on Tuesday, May 13, for “improper activity” on social media. Mubarez reportedly hosted live entertainment programs focused on humor and jokes.

The Ministry reiterated that it is prosecuting what it calls the “illegal use of social media.” In May 2023, the Taliban banned TikTok and PUBG, claiming the platforms misled young people. TikTok remains a key source of income for many Afghan youth amid widespread unemployment.

The forced public repentance of TikTok users reflects the Taliban’s use of humiliation, coercion, and moral policing to control online expression and social interaction. by arresting users, extracting confessions, and broadcasting pledges of compliance, the authorities transform social media into a space of surveillance and punishment. These practices not only suppress freedom of expression but also cut off vital income sources for young people in an already collapsed economy.