2025 Internet blackout in Iran

Iran has historically blocked the internet to suppress protests, having done so In 2019 as well as 2022. From 2022 to 2024, Iran also banned WhatsApp and Google Play during the Mahsa Amini protests. The censorship of internet has been used by Iran to suppress dissent, protests and the Iranian opposition. Iranian blockage of the internet has historically brought about "huge" economic costs.

The Iranian government has urged Iranian citizens to block WhatsApp, claiming that it was Israeli spyware, a claim that WhatsApp denied. Additionally, social media access was blocked.

History and reasoning

In 2019, Iran imposed an Internet blackout. From 2022 to 2024, the Iranian government banned WhatsApp and Google Play during the Mahsa Amini protests.

In 2019, Iran implemented a week-long Internet shutdown during the "Bloody November" protests, which saw the loss of about 1,500 lives. This disruption was part of a larger strategy to restrict the spread of protest-related information and prevent the coordination of demonstrations. The Iranian government justified the shutdown as a means to control the spread of information and prevent unrest, while international observers criticized it as a tool of repression. This was done to ensure the control and dissemination of the government's narrative. However some Iranians managed to bypass controls and reported on what was occurring to the outside world.

Additionally, Iran has established the National Information Network (NIN), a national intranet system designed to give the government greater control over internet access and monitoring. This infrastructure allows the government to enact "digital curfews," restricting internet access in particular areas or during times of increased unrest, effectively hindering communication and the organization of protests.

AP News said that Iran relied on electronic surveillance and Internet censorship to enforce its mandatory-hijab laws and suppress protests. The government deployed drones, facial recognition software, and a mobile app called "Nazer" to monitor women in public, while encouraging citizens to report violations. These measures were part of a broader strategy to control dissent and limit access to information, particularly after protests erupted following the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022. The government also restricted social media platforms and imposed internet blackouts to disrupt the organization of protests. Through these tactics, AP News reported that Iran sought to strengthen its control over the population and suppress opposition.

The BBC reported that due to Iranian government control of media, the Internet provided one of the few platforms where Iranians could freely express themselves. In the BBC report it was also said that internet blocking was "effective tool that severely harms the ability of protesters to organise, communicate and inform the outside world". The report also said that "it also carries a huge cost for the Iranian economy, businesses and public services."