Iran has severely restricted internet access in the country as protests over increased gasoline prices that have seized the nation spread to multiple cities, according to two organizations that monitor web activity. Cloudflare and NetBlocks data indicate a dramatic fall in traffic consistent with a comprehensive national shutdown, while sources in Tehran told international media that mobile data was severed and some fixed-line services were cut, with phone networks also affected in parts of the capital.
The action is the government’s latest application of connectivity controls to stanch mobilization, mute the flow of protest footage and impede real-time organizing. Verified videos posted by large newsrooms show significant crowds in multiple cities, marking the largest wave of street protests since national unrest that followed the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini.
How the Internet Shutdown Unfolded Across Iran
Connectivity trackers recorded sudden, regional drops in availability across Iran’s main mobile networks in a signature pattern of the state playbook. In previous episodes, officials initially zeroed in on mobile data — how most people in Iran reach the internet — before throttling or selectively cutting fixed broadband. Then come platform-specific filters, such as deep-packet inspection to block messaging apps.
Telecommunications are highly centralized in Iran, through the state-owned Telecommunications Infrastructure Company — which makes it possible to quickly push through nationwide restrictions. Researchers say the methods being employed go from DNS and IP blocking through to BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) route manipulation, complemented by temporary “curfew-style” outages that have been timed to align with predicted protest peaks.
A Familiar Playbook of Connectivity Controls in Iran
A government clampdown in the 2019 crackdown, which followed Mr. Mnangagwa’s disputed re-election the year before, kept mobile data on while it ordered people to use a government-controlled internet service provider.
While authorities have previously used a total shutdown of national communications networks — as occurred this week, deploying both mobile phone and internet restrictions across all four major operators — they have also selectively blocked social media platforms, a move condemned by rights groups but which often escaped similar scrutiny from governments or international organizations that did at least publicly protest an about-face on democracy by Mr. Mnangagwa compared to recent condemnation of other African states’ undemocratic moves, such as those taking place in Ghana.
In those early days, access to popular services like Instagram and WhatsApp was restricted, which led people to rely on VPNs and proxy tools instead. Civil society groups said that with a subsequent nationwide blackout, demand for VPN services in Iran jumped by more than 700% as users sought to connect.
Digital rights groups including Access Now and Article 19 have tracked a familiar pattern: mobile-first disruptions, blocks on key social and messaging apps, and targeted throttling that leaves some state-approved services usable while rendering independent media and live video effectively unusable.
Economic and Civic Costs of a Nationwide Internet Blackout
Internet shutdowns are extremely expensive. NetBlocks’ Cost of Shutdown Tool has found that nationwide blackouts in Iran can siphon millions of dollars from its economy daily, with a disproportionate impact on small businesses that conduct sales through Instagram storefronts and messaging apps. Key online services slow to a crawl when traffic is choked off, including:
- Logistics and delivery operations
- Online banking and financial services
- Ride-hailing and transportation platforms
- Telemedicine and remote care
Outside of commerce, blackout conditions hinder emergency response and corrode trust. Journalists can no longer confirm reports, families have difficulty tracking down loved ones, and activists are unable to document detentions or injuries as they happen. UN human rights experts have said in the past that such shutdowns disrupt the basic right to freedom of expression and assembly.
Competing Narratives and Global Responses
State news accounts depict the unrest as foreign-influenced and play up counter-rallies in support of the government. Meanwhile, diaspora figures — including exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi — have stepped up calls for protests on social media. International outlets including the BBC, NPR and Reuters have covered both the momentum of the protest movement and the government’s response, using footage verified via open-source techniques.
Foreign governments and human rights groups have called on Tehran to restore connectivity and not use excessive force in the same way that it was condemned previously when the Iranian authorities implemented expansive blackouts. But when the internet goes dark, accountability dims with it, making independent fact-finding all the more difficult and raising the risk of abuses out of view of cameras.
Workarounds and What’s Next for Connectivity in Iran
Like in previous crackdowns, Iranians are using VPNs, Tor bridges and circumvention tools like Psiphon and Snowflake. These workarounds can be fragile when the state is using more sophisticated filtering, but they frequently leave some channels open. Satellite options have been openly discussed, but equipment shortages and legal risk hamstring their near-term utility within Iran.
Digital security trainers offer practical advice for staying connected and secure:
- Preinstall several VPNs and anti-censorship apps.
- Enable two-factor authentication with offline backup codes.
- Use end-to-end encrypted messengers and enable safety features such as disappearing messages.
For those who want to document events, experts recommend offline-first recording for later upload, as well as metadata-scrubbing tools to conceal sources.
Whether the blackout will be short-lived or extended is a sign of how the authorities plan to handle the crisis. Key to monitoring changes hour by hour will be latency metrics provided by Cloudflare Radar and NetBlocks. For now, the trend is clear: as the protests scale up, Iran’s internet shrinks — a more and more automatic action that has enormous social and economic costs even as it drives civic life further underground.
