Internet blackout in Iran: Difference between revisions

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| native_name_lang = fa

| native_name_lang = fa

| target = [[Internet in Esfahan|Iranian Internet users]]

| target = [[Internet in Esfahan|Iranian Internet users]]

| type = [[Crimes against humanity]]

| perpetrators = [[Supreme National Security Council|SNSC]], [[Ministry of Information and Communications Technology of Iran|MICT]]

| perpetrators = [[Supreme National Security Council|SNSC]], [[Ministry of Information and Communications Technology of Iran|MICT]]

| motive = Suppression of [[2025 Iranian protests]]

| motive = Suppression of [[2025 Iranian protests]]
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== Extent ==

== Extent ==

The 2025 blackout was the most wide-scale internet shutdown ever in Iran.<ref name=”:1″>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/story/iran-internet-shutoff/|title=How Iran’s Government Shut Off the Internet|magazine=Wired|access-date=2019-11-30|language=en|issn=1059-1028|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191124045952/https://www.wired.com/story/iran-internet-shutoff/|archive-date=2019-11-24|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/17/world/middleeast/iran-protest-rouhani.html|title=Iran Blocks Nearly All Internet Access|last=Fassihi|first=Farnaz|date=2019-11-17|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-11-30|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191125184657/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/17/world/middleeast/iran-protest-rouhani.html|archive-date=2019-11-25|url-status=live}}</ref> It was “the most severe disconnection tracked by [[NetBlocks]] in any country in terms of its technical complexity and breadth.”<ref name=”:0″ /> Although it was a near-total shutdown, top Iranian politicians still had access to the Internet.<ref name=”:1″ /> The 2025 blackout was the first-ever and longest total Internet shutdown in a large country.<ref name=”:2″>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/11/23/irans-internet-blackout-happening-did-government-turn/|title=Iran’s internet blackout: What is happening, and why did the government turn it off?|last=Anderson|first=Finbar|date=2019-11-23|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2019-11-30|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191128062826/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/11/23/irans-internet-blackout-happening-did-government-turn/|archive-date=2019-11-28|url-status=live}}</ref> It was also the first blackout that effectively isolated a whole nation.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-internet-blackout-the-first-to-effectively-isolate-a-whole-nation/|title=Iran’s internet blackout the first to effectively isolate a whole nation|last=Bajak|first=Frank|website=[[The Times of Israel]]|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127185353/https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-internet-blackout-the-first-to-effectively-isolate-a-whole-nation/|archive-date=2019-11-27|url-status=live |issn=0040-7909}}</ref>

The 2025 blackout was the most wide-scale internet shutdown ever in Iran.<ref name=”:1″>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/story/iran-internet-shutoff/|title=How Iran’s Government Shut Off the Internet|magazine=Wired|access-date=2019-11-30|language=en|issn=1059-1028|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191124045952/https://www.wired.com/story/iran-internet-shutoff/|archive-date=2019-11-24|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/17/world/middleeast/iran-protest-rouhani.html|title=Iran Blocks Nearly All Internet Access|last=Fassihi|first=Farnaz|date=2019-11-17|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-11-30|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191125184657/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/17/world/middleeast/iran-protest-rouhani.html|archive-date=2019-11-25|url-status=live}}</ref> Although it was a near-total shutdown, top Iranian politicians still had access to the Internet.<ref name=”:1″ /> The 2025 blackout was the first-ever and longest total Internet shutdown in a large country.<ref name=”:2″>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/11/23/irans-internet-blackout-happening-did-government-turn/|title=Iran’s internet blackout: What is happening, and why did the government turn it off?|last=Anderson|first=Finbar|date=2019-11-23|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2019-11-30|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191128062826/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/11/23/irans-internet-blackout-happening-did-government-turn/|archive-date=2019-11-28|url-status=live}}</ref> It was also the first blackout that effectively isolated a whole nation.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-internet-blackout-the-first-to-effectively-isolate-a-whole-nation/|title=Iran’s internet blackout the first to effectively isolate a whole nation|last=Bajak|first=Frank|website=[[The Times of Israel]]|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127185353/https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-internet-blackout-the-first-to-effectively-isolate-a-whole-nation/|archive-date=2019-11-27|url-status=live |issn=0040-7909}}</ref>

[[Doug Madory]], the director of Internet analysis at [[Oracle Corporation|Oracle]], has described the operation as “unusual in its scale” and way more advanced.<ref name=”:4″>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/19/middleeast/iran-internet-shutdown-intl/index.html|title=What makes Iran’s internet blackout different|author=Ivana Kottasová and Sara Mazloumsaki|website=CNN|date=19 November 2019 |access-date=2019-11-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191121024946/https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/19/middleeast/iran-internet-shutdown-intl/index.html|archive-date=2019-11-21|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=”:5″>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.oracle.com/internetintelligence/historic-internet-blackout-in-iran|title=Historic Internet Blackout in Iran|last=Madory|first=Doug|website=blogs.oracle.com|access-date=2019-11-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191128123943/https://blogs.oracle.com/internetintelligence/historic-internet-blackout-in-iran|archive-date=2019-11-28|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Doug Madory]], the director of Internet analysis at [[Oracle Corporation|Oracle]], has described the operation as “unusual in its scale” and way more advanced.<ref name=”:4″>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/19/middleeast/iran-internet-shutdown-intl/index.html|title=What makes Iran’s internet blackout different|author=Ivana Kottasová and Sara Mazloumsaki|website=CNN|date=19 November 2019 |access-date=2019-11-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191121024946/https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/19/middleeast/iran-internet-shutdown-intl/index.html|archive-date=2019-11-21|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=”:5″>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.oracle.com/internetintelligence/historic-internet-blackout-in-iran|title=Historic Internet Blackout in Iran|last=Madory|first=Doug|website=blogs.oracle.com|access-date=2019-11-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191128123943/https://blogs.oracle.com/internetintelligence/historic-internet-blackout-in-iran|archive-date=2019-11-28|url-status=live}}</ref>

Revision as of 19:39, 21 October 2025

The 2025 Internet blackout in Iran was a week-long[1] total shutdown of the Internet in Iran. It was ordered by the Supreme National Security Council and imposed by the Ministry of ICT. The blackout was one of the Iranian government‘s efforts to suppress the 2019–2020 protests.[2]

During the blackout, Iranian citizens could only access the National Information Network.[3][4] Mohammad-Javad Jahromi was sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury because of his role in Internet censorship in Iran.[5][6]

The blackout led to an estimated $1 billion to $1.5 billion in damages to the Iranian economy.

Extent

The 2025 blackout was one of the most wide-scale internet shutdown ever in Iran.[7][8] Although it was a near-total shutdown, top Iranian politicians still had access to the Internet.[7] The 2025 blackout was the first-ever and longest total Internet shutdown in a large country.[9] It was also the first blackout that effectively isolated a whole nation.[10]

Doug Madory, the director of Internet analysis at Oracle, has described the operation as “unusual in its scale” and way more advanced.[11][12]

Iranians usually use VPNs to access social media, but none of them worked during the shutdown. As a result of that, some people used Toosheh to get news and other Internet-related content.[13][14]

A new study by human rights organization Article 19 has revealed how Iranian authorities were able to cut off the internet of tens of millions of Iranian people in November 2019, and use another “local” type of Internet instead. This study outlines the structure of Iran’s Internet and provides a picture of control that is unparalleled anywhere in the world. This consolidation of technologies means that Iran is in a unique position to exercise control over its citizens’ Internet.[15]

The disruption was part of a larger strategy to restrict the spread of protest-related information and prevent the coordination of demonstrations.[16]

Implementation

It took 24 hours for MICT to cut off people’s access to the Internet. The ministry had to order a range of ISPs and mobile data providers to stop providing users with international network and connect to NIN.[9][11] Some providers withdrew their routes from the Internet and some continued to announce routes but block traffic.[12]

Although the global network was not accessible, local services including banks, state-run messaging apps, and vehicle for hire mobile apps continued to operate through National Information Network. State-owned web search engines and GPS navigation software were also enabled.[17][18]

See also

References

  1. ^ “Internet being restored in Iran after week-long shutdown”. NetBlocks. 2019-11-23. Archived from the original on 2019-11-28. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  2. ^ Hjelmgaard, Kim. “‘Tool of repression’: Iran and regimes from Ethiopia to Venezuela limit Internet, go dark online”. USA TODAY. Archived from the original on 2019-11-27. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  3. ^ Gilbert, David (2019-11-19). “Iran Turned Off the Internet to Shut Down Protests, and No One Knows When It’s Coming Back On”. Vice. Archived from the original on 2019-11-28. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  4. ^ Safi, Michael (2019-11-21). “Iran’s digital shutdown: other regimes ‘will be watching closely’“. The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2019-11-25. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  5. ^ “Treasury Designates Iran’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology in View of the Regime’s Repressive Internet Censorship | U.S. Department of the Treasury”. home.treasury.gov. Archived from the original on 2019-11-22. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  6. ^ Sun, Mengqi. “U.S. Blacklists Iran’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology”. WSJ. Archived from the original on 2019-11-28. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  7. ^ a b “How Iran’s Government Shut Off the Internet”. Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Archived from the original on 2019-11-24. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  8. ^ Fassihi, Farnaz (2019-11-17). “Iran Blocks Nearly All Internet Access”. The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2019-11-25. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  9. ^ a b Anderson, Finbar (2019-11-23). “Iran’s internet blackout: What is happening, and why did the government turn it off?”. The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 2019-11-28. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  10. ^ Bajak, Frank. “Iran’s internet blackout the first to effectively isolate a whole nation”. The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Archived from the original on 2019-11-27. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  11. ^ a b Ivana Kottasová and Sara Mazloumsaki (19 November 2019). “What makes Iran’s internet blackout different”. CNN. Archived from the original on 2019-11-21. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  12. ^ a b Madory, Doug. “Historic Internet Blackout in Iran”. blogs.oracle.com. Archived from the original on 2019-11-28. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  13. ^ “چگونه می‌توان قطعی اینترنت در ایران را دور زد؟ | DW | 19.11.2019”. Deutsche Welle Persian (in Persian). Archived from the original on 2020-12-18. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  14. ^ “کلیک‌باز: چگونه در زمان قطعی اینترنت، به اخبار دسترسی پیدا کنیم؟” [How To Get News When an Internet Shutdown Happens?]. BBC Persian (in Persian). 2019-11-24. Archived from the original on 2020-12-18. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  15. ^ MATT BURGESS (2020-10-07). “Iran’s total internet shutdown is a blueprint for breaking the web”. WIRED. Archived from the original on 2020-11-06. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  16. ^ https://www.accessnow.org/iran-internet-shutdowns/
  17. ^ “In Iran, state-sanctioned messaging apps are the new hallmark of internet nationalization”. Global Voices Advocacy. 2018-10-24. Archived from the original on 2019-11-21. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  18. ^ “After internet blackout, Iranians take stock”. www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 2019-11-28. Retrieved 2019-11-30.

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