Afghans scramble to delete digital history, evade biometrics

A file photo of a man speaking on his mobile phone along a road in Kabul. After years of a push to digitise databases in Afghanistan, and introduce digital identity cards and biometrics for voting, activists warn these technologies can be used to target and attack vulnerable groups. — AFP

Thousands of Afghans struggling to ensure the physical safety of their families after the Taliban took control of the country have an additional worry: that biometric databases and their own digital history can be used to track and target them.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned of “chilling” curbs on human rights and violations against women and girls, and Amnesty International on Monday said thousands of Afghans – including academics, journalists and activists – were “at serious risk of Taliban reprisals”.