Iran’s selective internet shutdown is chillingly precise, allowing some state messaging
Iranians were hit by a state-sponsored internet blackout as protests over economic conditions continued last week and descended into chaos. Selective government communications, however, were shared online.
The Guardian
Iran’s internet shutdown, now in place for 36 hours as the authorities seek to quell escalating anti-government protests, represents a “new high-water mark” in terms of its sophistication and severity, say experts – and could last a long time.
As the blackout kicked in, 90% of internet traffic to Iran evaporated. International calls to the country appeared blocked and domestic mobile phones had no service, said Amir Rashidi, an Iranian digital rights expert.
This is far from the first time a country has blocked the internet for political reasons. Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak blocked the internet for six days during the 2011 Tahrir protests, and the Taliban shut down Afghanistan’s for 48 hours in September, ostensibly to curb “immorality.”
ADDITIONAL NEWS FROM THE INTEGRITY PROJECT
