Taliban authorities in Herat have extended media restrictions, reportedly detaining theatre artists critical of a ban on images of living beings. The decree, now active in 23 provinces, has led to at least 20 TV stations shutting down. Journalists are also instructed to grow beards and avoid neckties. This clampdown, part of the Taliban's 'morality law,' forces media to replace visual content of people with words, sound, or imagery of inanimate objects, effectively erasing identities and voices. Press freedom has significantly declined since the Taliban's 2021 return.