The Afghanistan Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ATRA) has said, in official letters sent to media, that it will ban WhatsApp and Telegram for a short time, arguing that the move will be taken due to security issues.

Officials from Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) told TOLOnews that the accounts of some of WhatsApp and Telegram users will be banned because of security reasons.

According the MCIT officials, they will decide in this respect in the near future.

The move has raised people’s concerns about freedom of speech in the country. Some Kabul residents suggested that government should boost its control over social media platforms instead of banning some of them.

“Government should give more explanations to media about this move. It should explain that why it has made this decision,” said Ismail Jahangir, a journalist.

“Limitations on social media are against the freedom of expression and this should not happen,” said Sediqullah Tawhidi, head of Nai’s Media Watch.

Lawmakers said applying limitations on social media is not a fundamental solution to security problems.

“Banning social media should not be considered as a tool for overcoming insecurity. Government should find alternative ways to prevent the insurgents from using these social media networks,” said Ramazan Juma Zada, an MP.

The number of people using social media is increasing every day. Due to having more privacy in WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber, a large number of Afghans are using these social media platforms.