Iran loosens internet restrictions for some citizens

Iranian authorities reduced internet access restrictions for some of the country’s 92 million citizens, as reported by BBC News and agencies on January 28th.

Internet access was originally blocked on January 8th to subdue a wave of mass demonstrations across the country. The protesters openly criticised the government for their rising inflation rates.

However, the internet blackout has also come at a tremendous cost to the national economy. Satar Hashemdi, Iran’s Minister for Communication, admitted that the internet disruption resulted in losses of up to 4.9 trillion tumans ($35 million).

Despite the internet’s return, Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at Kentik, asserted that this was not a return to normal. Data from Cloudflare and Kentik show an uneven recovery of internet traffic, with only 60% of pre-shutdown levels restored.

Amir Rashidi, director of cybersecurity at Miaan Group, said that unrestricted access is available only to a limited number of people approved by the government. 

But despite the internet blackout, some regions in Iran were still able to access the internet via Starlink satellite internet service. It has the capacity to provide rural and remote areas with a full internet connection.

Starlink is also used in countries such as Sudan, Uganda, and Ukraine, where internet access is unreliable, whether due to state-imposed blackouts or disruptions caused by conflict. 

Former Iranian officials have speculated that internet shutdowns might be an outdated instrument, given the presence of satellite internet, according to Mahsa Alimardani, associate director of technology threats and opportunities at human rights monitor Witness.

It is estimated that roughly 50,000 Starlink terminals have been smuggled into the country. Meanwhile, the Iranian government has also made the possession of a Starlink terminal a criminal offence.

As a result, Iranian authorities have launched a crackdown on Starlink users, arrested smugglers, and disrupted Starlink signals using electronic warfare tools.

Iran continues to make strides in curtailing internet access, with Madory speculating that a full restoration of internet access may never occur.

BBC News and agencies, CNN and agencies, The Guardian and agencies, Maghrebi.org