Left in the Dark – Iran’s Internet Isolation

By: Ani Weimar 

Imagine waking up in the dark – not just in the absence of light, but physically disconnected from the rest of the world and everyone within your country. Iran’s authoritarian government system has control over every aspect of everyday life for the Iranian citizens, and has even gone as far to completely disconnect them from the rest of the world and each other. With strict regulation over what information is released throughout the country, its inhabitants are constantly kept in the dark – a new literal meaning after the most recent internet blackout in January. 

The Islamic Republic of Iran came into power nearly 37 years ago after the Iranian Revolution of 1979. With almost unanimous support from the Iranian public, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini led the revolution to overthrow the shah’s autocratic monarchy and replace it with the Islamic Republic. Khomeini’s son and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei came into power on June 4, 1989 and has suppressed any opposition to his rule ever since. 

Requesting to remain anonymous when discussing why citizens were protesting, an Iranian student reflects, “Not only because of economic problems or economic crises, but also because of the suffocating atmosphere and the lack of civil freedoms.” Amidst the protests in 2022, Iranian events were salient in the news after a 22 year old young woman Mahsa Amini was killed by the government for not wearing her hijab. The accumulation of human rights, civil, and financial issues have built up resentment toward the current dictatorship.  

Protests and calls for reforming the Iranian government have occurred for decades following the Revolution, with the first major instances being student-led in 1990 in Tehran. Since then, Tehran and its surrounding cities have been hit by waves of demonstrations and movements–including the 2009 Green Movement, 2019 “Bloody November,” 2002 “Women, Life, Freedom Movement,” and more. Closer to today, the most recent events in December 2025 and January 2026 have resulted in the Iranian government shutting off internet access for all of its citizens. This adds to the list of unlawful arrests, convictions, and executions. 

Under the current regime (Islamic Republic of Iran), citizens are severely repressed and have extremely limited freedoms. On top of the basic human rights hardships Iranians suffer daily, the economy is declining rapidly, which has generated additional anger toward the government. There has been a surge in inflation and the currency has severely depreciated, compared to other countries around the world. Just prior to the initial demonstrations in December, Iran’s currency crashed, valuing it at over 1.3 million rials to one U.S. dollar. This is an exponential increase in inflation, compared to the exchange rate in 2024, which was just under 770,000 rials per U.S. dollar. Families are struggling to purchase food, groceries, and everyday necessities. 

The recent rallies that followed this have led to extreme violence, with eyewitnesses reporting that protesters were escaping gunshots from the authorities. On January 8, 2026, the Islamic Republic enacted a nationwide internet shutdown, restricting access to all 92 million citizens in response to these protests. 

Imagine not having access to life-saving or altering information, not receiving safety warnings, and not knowing the locations or conditions of your family members. On a societal level, the internet shutdown conceals the truth about the events occurring in the country and reality of those living in its conditions, with “obscuring” information to outside sources and the international public. This allows the Iranian government to continue committing atrocities and crimes against humanity without being held accountable internationally. Only 3% of citizens gained access to the internet through Starlink, which is illegal to do. 

This shutdown had lasted for nearly three weeks, which makes it one of the most significant shutdowns in history. Slowly, a certain extent of internet access began returning during late January; however, it remains under strict regulation and control by the government. 

Many institutions and organizations around the world have publicly condemned the regime’s actions. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) documented that over 2,615 people had been killed in the protests as of January 15th – 2,435 of them were participants, 153 were law enforcement, and the other 882 deaths are being analyzed. 

In Iran, people aren’t living, but surviving. With constant anxiety over the government observing and punishing their every move, people aren’t able to optimize their life opportunities and experiences, grow success and prosper, or raise a family in the ideal environment. The younger generations will be forced to grow up in a world under constant surveillance, propaganda, and violence, leaving them in a state of constant fear. Many may have ignorance regarding the truth behind their country’s behavior, and become brainwashed from seeking opportunities to escape to other nations with much better living conditions. 

Only a few days ago, Iran’s chief authority, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed after Israeli and U.S. forces struck Iran on February 28th. Currently, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has been appointed interim leader of Iran; however, previously in Khamenei’s close circle, she shares similar ideologies and with him sitting in, there will likely be no change in policy. There have been talks about new leaders – and a strong opposition to the current regime, exiled son of Iran’s last Shah, Reza Pahlavi has come out and spoken to the U.S. requesting support to take over; however, it is difficult to measure Iranian civilian support from the outside. 

Not wanting to impose a leader, there is continued violence and strikes involving the West and Iran with constantly changing conditions. It remains challenging to contact those living in the country, since there are still internet shortages, so we can only observe updates occurring from international and Western news outlets. We can only hope that this isn’t another instance of false hope for the Iranian citizens and that there is a shift in regime for the safety, security, and standards of living for all those living in Iran.

References 

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