The Taliban’s curious love of SIM cards - Rest of World

The Taliban's free SIM card distribution to Afghans deported from Pakistan is seen by two sources as a way to collect biometric data and track people. Mohammad Najeeb Azizi, former chairman of the Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority, said the move seems driven by the government's interest in centralizing biometric data for identification, tracking, and surveillance, and Tolo News journalist Attaullah Omar said it was probably to keep track of refugees. Omar reported that families could receive up to four SIM cards, available to women as well, while Azizi said all five national operators reported positive growth despite regulatory uncertainty. The text claims that the Taliban values tracking women and girls more than the risk of giving them access to the wider world.