tech
Iran’s internet blackout is longest national shutdown since Arab spring
Iranian authorities cut access to internet on 28 February leaving many with limited information about war
TL;DR
- Iran's current national internet blackout is the longest since the Arab Spring, exceeding 38 days.
- The shutdown, initiated on February 28th, severely limits Iranians' access to information about the war.
- Citizens primarily rely on state television and a single satellite channel, which present news according to their own agendas.
- A domestic network, the National Information Network (Nin), offers parallel services but is government-monitored and censored.
- Searches for sensitive keywords like 'war' on domestic search engines yield no results or skewed information.
- Circumventing the shutdown is difficult and expensive, with access sold on the black market at significantly inflated prices.
- Authorities appear to be promoting the national network, with no clear prospect of full internet connectivity restoration.