The Taliban government has issued an order banning the use of smartphones by government employees, effective June 17. The ban applies to all employees of military and civilian departments, with exemptions granted only by the Supreme Leader. A letter announcing the ban circulated on social media under the emblem of the Supreme Court.

Government workers in different parts of Afghanistan have started switching off their smartphones following the directive. As of Wednesday afternoon, multiple central government departments were still publishing information through their WhatsApp groups. Two spokesmen for the Afghan government did not respond to requests to comment on the decision.

The Guardian reported that the order was issued by the Taliban’s military courts and that officials were shown destroying devices. The outlet also reported that some analysts say the ban could foreshadow broader, population-level restrictions.