The Elusive "Afghanistan Phone Directory": Beyond Public Listings
The idea of a comprehensive, publicly accessible "Afghanistan phone directory"—a single, searchable database containing the personal phone numbers of all individuals and businesses in the country—is a common query. However, due to a complex interplay of factors, including evolving privacy regulations, historical context, and the current operational environment, such a broad and openly published directory of personal phone numbers does not legally exist and is not widely provided by telecommunication companies in a public format.
Historically, printed telephone directories were algeria phone number library common globally. However, with the rise of mobile phones and increasing privacy concerns, their public availability for personal numbers has largely diminished worldwide. In Afghanistan, while fixed-line services exist, mobile phone penetration is significantly higher. The telecom landscape, overseen by the Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA), focuses on regulating service providers like Afghan Wireless (AWCC), Roshan, Etisalat Afghanistan, MTN Afghanistan, and Salaam Network. These companies are generally bound by subscriber privacy and do not publicly release comprehensive lists of individual phone numbers.
Privacy and Regulatory Framework:
While Afghanistan's data protection framework is still developing, the principles of regulating telecom services and protecting consumer rights, as outlined in the Law Regulating Telecommunication Services, 2005, lay a foundation for privacy. Public disclosure of personal contact information without consent would likely violate these underlying principles and raise significant security concerns.