In just under two decades, the Taliban has evolved from insurgents to a hardline ruling group who use social media and technology to suppress the population of Afghanistan. The conservative Muslim group who once banned the internet in 2001 has now harnessed it, prolifically using apps and social media platforms to recruit new members, spread its politics, threaten those speaking out against it, and spy on its own citizens. Highlights in this report from the DarkOwl analyst team include:

• The Taliban has evolved from an internet-banning insurgency to a hardline ruling group who harness technology to recruit new members, spread its politics, threaten those speaking out against it, and spy on its own citizens. It also uses the internet to attempt to influence international opinion about its rule.
• As the Taliban establishes its online presence, policy makers and tech experts must work to influence the Taliban to keep the internet open and keep its citizens connected. This is a tough task considering the Taliban’s ideology as well as the practices of surrounding countries, most of which are authoritarian governments with little focus on human rights and free speech. 
• The world must fight against an isolated Afghanistan, as the Taliban present one public reality which differs vastly from actual daily life and cannot leave Afghan citizens to suffer while also experiencing the brutality of these fundamentalists.

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