Internet access across Iran was largely shut down on Thursday as protests over worsening economic conditions spread across the country. Several internet monitoring groups reported a near-total blackout that cut people off from the outside world.
Amir Rashidi, an Iranian cybersecurity researcher working with the nonprofit Miaan Group, said the country was almost completely disconnected from the global internet. Doug Madory, who leads internet analysis at monitoring firm Kentik, said the blackout began around 8 p.m. local time in Tehran. Other organizations including NetBlocks Cloudflare and IODA also reported sudden sharp drops in internet connectivity at the same time.
David Belson, Cloudflare’s head of data insights, said only a very small amount of internet traffic was still visible. He explained that the country is effectively completely offline.
The shutdown comes as nationwide protests continue across Iran. Demonstrations began in late December after the value of Iran’s currency fell sharply. This caused shortages of basic goods and major price increases making daily life much harder for many people. Some shops in Tehran’s historic bazaar have remained closed for more than a week as protests continue.
The Iranian government has responded to the demonstrations with a violent crackdown according to reports. Iran tightly controls internet access and has previously shut down connectivity during periods of unrest.
Rashidi said the government is responsible for the internet blackout. Officials representing Iran in the United States did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Iran’s Foreign Ministry website was also unavailable at the time of reporting.
The internet shutdown has made it difficult for people inside Iran to communicate share information or access news from outside the country as protests continue.
