Internet outage in Iran for the second day amid protests over living conditions
NetBlocks, a non-governmental organization specializing in monitoring cybersecurity and internet governance, confirmed that the internet service in Iran has been down nationwide for more than 48 hours, coinciding with a new wave of popular protests that erupted in condemnation of the deteriorating living and economic conditions.
Systematic digital blackout
The organization stated via its official X platform that network data shows a near-total blackout since Thursday, a pattern typically employed by Iranian authorities during periods of civil unrest. According to observers and human rights experts, this measure aims to prevent protesters from organizing through instant messaging applications and to restrict the circulation of videos and images documenting the security forces' treatment of demonstrators, thus imposing a "digital iron curtain" that isolates Iran from the international community and hinders the documentation of events.
Background of the protests and the economic crisis
These developments come at a time when the Iranian economy is suffering from severe structural crises, exacerbated by international sanctions and domestic mismanagement. Citizens complain of rampant inflation and the plummeting value of the local currency (the rial) against foreign currencies, leading to a sharp decline in purchasing power and soaring prices for basic goods and food. These factors have fueled recurring protests in Iranian provinces, demanding urgent economic reforms and improvements in living standards and public services.
A history of communication disruptions and their impact
This measure is not new to the Iranian scene; the authorities have previously resorted to cutting off the internet completely or partially during previous widespread protests, most notably the November 2019 protests known as the “gasoline protests”, as well as during the popular movements that followed the death of the young woman Mahsa Amini in 2022. International human rights organizations, including the United Nations, consider cutting off the internet to be a flagrant violation of human rights and the right to access information.
Beyond the legal implications, this internet blackout is causing significant economic losses for local businesses and the private sector, which relies on the internet for its operations, further burdening an already struggling economy. Political analysts believe that the 48-hour blackout reflects the government's deep concern about the escalating protests and represents a preemptive attempt to control the media narrative before the situation worsens.
