The Documentary Podcast The Fifth Floor: Inside the Taliban's surveillance network
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Apr 19, 2025 Mahjooba Nowrouzi, a journalist with BBC Afghan Services, shares her eye-opening experience inside the Taliban's surveillance network control room in Kabul. With over 90,000 CCTV cameras scrutinizing citizens, she explores the implications for privacy and freedom, especially for women. William Márquez from BBC Mundo adds a lighter note, discussing Charles Darwin's legacy and his connection to a recent TikTok visit to Darwin's house, illustrating the crossover between history and modern media.
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Kabul's Extensive CCTV Network
- Kabul has over 90,000 high-definition CCTV cameras monitoring daily life, a massive increase from about 850 previously.
- The cameras include facial recognition and can zoom clearly to identify faces and number plates.
Concerns Over Surveillance Purpose
- The Taliban claim these cameras are for security against attacks, but activists fear they target women and dissenters.
- There is concern that surveillance could be used to enforce restrictions like hijab wearing.
Woman's Fear of Surveillance
- Fariba, a young woman in Kabul, says many can't travel freely due to fear of surveillance.
- She worries cameras might be used to check compliance with hijab rules.