Iran’s internet blackout is longest national shutdown since Arab spring

Key Points:

• Iran has experienced a national internet shutdown since 28 February, making it the longest blackout of its kind since the Arab Spring, lasting over 38 days and severely limiting public access to information about the ongoing US-Israel strikes and the war.
• The blackout restricts most Iranians to the National Information Network (NIN), a government-monitored domestic network with heavy censorship, where searches related to the war are blocked or manipulated to present a controlled narrative.
• Access to the global internet is scarce and expensive, with some Iranians resorting to crossing borders or paying exorbitant prices on the black market, turning internet connectivity into a luxury commodity.
• Human rights organizations report that the blackout and censorship are deliberate efforts by the Iranian government to control public opinion and information flow, with little indication that full internet access will be restored soon.
• The ongoing shutdown reflects the Iranian regime’s resistance to change and its promotion of the NIN despite many services on this network being faulty or non-functional.