The BBC has reported that the Taliban is monitoring Kabul’s residents using 90,000 CCTV cameras, marking a significant expansion of its surveillance network. The BBC stated that it is the first international media outlet allowed access to the Taliban’s control centre.
Khalid Zadran, the Taliban’s police spokesperson in Kabul, confirmed the scale of surveillance, stating: “We monitor the entire city of Kabul from here.”
The BBC report, published on Thursday, noted that Taliban officials claim the CCTV system is designed to combat crime. However, critics warn that the surveillance network may be used to suppress dissent and enforce the Taliban’s strict laws.
Inside the control centre, Taliban officers sit in rows, monitoring live footage from thousands of cameras across Kabul, a city of six million people. The system tracks everything from vehicle licence plates to individuals’ facial expressions.
Zadran explained: “In certain neighbourhoods, when we notice groups of people and suspect they might be involved in drug use, criminal activities, or something suspicious, we quickly reach out to the local police.” He added that the Taliban police act swiftly to investigate such gatherings.
The BBC described the rapid expansion of CCTV cameras in Kabul as a sign of the Taliban’s evolving approach to law enforcement. Under the previous government, the city had only 850 cameras. Since the Taliban took power, that number has surged to 90,000.
Concerns Over BBC’s Relationship with the Taliban
The report comes amid allegations by UnHerd, a UK-based investigative media outlet, that the BBC and its charity arm, BBC Media Action, have made substantial payments to the Taliban.
According to UnHerd, the BBC has avoided broadcasting news that might anger the Taliban and has allegedly pressured its journalists to comply with Taliban directives. The BBC’s press office denied the claims, calling the UnHerd report inaccurate.
UnHerd also found that while the Taliban banned other media outlets, such as Voice of America and Radio Free Europe (Radio Azadi), the BBC has been allowed to operate freely in Afghanistan.
Surveillance and Facial Recognition Technology
The BBC report revealed that the Taliban’s surveillance network includes advanced facial recognition technology.
One of the control room monitors categorises individuals based on age, gender, beard length, and whether they are wearing a face covering. Zadran told the BBC: “On clear days, we can zoom in on individuals who are kilometres away.”
The Taliban even use the system to monitor their own forces. At one checkpoint, officers used surveillance cameras to zoom in on a car’s boot, inspecting its contents remotely.
The Taliban’s Interior Ministry claims that the CCTV system has significantly improved security, reduced crime, and helped police apprehend criminals more efficiently.
However, human rights organisations have raised serious concerns about who is being monitored and for how long.
Human Rights Groups Raise Alarms
Amnesty International warned that the Taliban’s mass surveillance, justified as a security measure, could be used to enforce their strict rules and suppress freedoms—particularly those of women.
Fariba, a young Kabul resident who has been unemployed since the Taliban takeover, expressed fears that surveillance cameras could be used to monitor women’s dress codes. “There is significant concern that the cameras may be used to check whether women are complying with hijab rules,” she told the BBC.
Since August 2021, the Taliban has mandated full-face coverings for women. Fariba also worries that the surveillance system could further endanger activists and former government employees who are already in hiding.
The BBC report noted that the Taliban claims access to the CCTV system is restricted to the police and is not used by the Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. However, Human Rights Watch pointed out that Afghanistan lacks data protection laws, meaning there are no regulations governing how surveillance footage is stored or used.
Taliban police stated that CCTV footage is stored for three months and is handled secretly by trained personnel.
Chinese Technology and Forced Contributions
The BBC observed that the cameras were likely manufactured in China, with control room monitors displaying the logo of Dahua, a Chinese company linked to Beijing.
Additionally, some residents in Kabul were reportedly forced to help fund the installation of surveillance cameras.
Shella, a resident of Kabul, told the BBC that people in her neighbourhood were pressured into contributing money for camera installations. “If families refused to pay, they were threatened with water and power cuts within three days,” she said.
The Taliban’s CCTV surveillance network is not limited to Kabul. The group has begun expanding the system to other major Afghan cities, further increasing concerns over mass monitoring and control.
