Gamer
Gamer Erik Mclean/Pexels

"PUBG Mobile" and TikTok are two of the most popular apps in their respective genres. Unfortunately for their users in Afghanistan, they would soon no longer be able to use them as the Taliban has decided to ban the two applications in the country.

"The Ministry of Telecommunication, in a meeting with the representatives of the security sector and a representative from the Sharia law enforcement administration, has decided to ban both TikTok and Pubg applications in Afghanistan within a 90 days period of time," local publication Khaama Press reported on September 20.

The Taliban appears more concerned about Tiktok and wants it to disappear sooner than the "PUBG Mobile" game. It was decided during the meeting that "TikTok must be banned within a month's time from now, and 'PUBG' should be banned within the next 90 days." The report added that the decision has already been forwarded to telecommunication and internet service providers across the country so they can implement the ban within schedule.

Read more

Reports about the ban first surfaced in April this year. However, the recent report is the first and only update about the details of the ban's implementation that was made public since then, NME reported.

Back when the ban was first reported, deputy spokesman of Afghanistan Inamullah Samangani tweeted that the "PUBG Mobile" game "causes the young generation to go astray." He also commented about the ban on TikTok during a telephone conversation, saying that the app's "filthy content was not consistent with Islamic laws."

Both the "PUBG Mobile" and the TikTok app have been condemned by the Taliban for "wasting people's time" and "misleading" the younger generation. Meanwhile, "PUBG" has been specifically criticized for its violent content.

With the implementation of the ban, Afghanistan became the third country to impose a ban on "PUBG." The other two countries that have banned the gaming app are India and Pakistan.

Afghanistan citizens will surely feel the impact of losing both popular applications. "PUBG" is one of the best-selling games of all time, while TikTok is one of the most popular short video social media platforms with more than a billion users worldwide.