Iran has provided an unusually severe case study on connectivity outages’ financial impact and humanitarian cost. In addition, Internet shutdowns resulted in platform blocking, and content filtering became a more widely used tool for authoritarian control worldwide.
The Iranian authorities ordered an extended shutdown in September. The shutdown severely restricted all digital communication due to widespread political dissent and protests. Tehran also runs regular campaigns to restrict access to well-known platforms like Meta’s Instagram and slow down connectivity. However, as the disruptions drag on, the actual economic cost of the harsh tactic is starting to emerge.
The government has regularly conducted major internet shutdowns and restrictions, including notable campaigns in 2017 and 2019. Iran is already subject to severe sanctions and international isolation. As a result of the cumulative effects of these crackdowns, more than 80 million Iranians have violated their rights. In addition, the Iranian economy has also suffered as a result of this breach.
Reza Ghazinouri, a strategic adviser for the San Francisco-based human rights and civil liberties organization United for Iran. She says that this is yet another crucial instance in which the authorities demonstrate their consistent preference for their self-interest over the interests of the general populace. “In the past years, millions of Iranians have fallen below the poverty line, and further limiting access to platforms like Instagram adds many more to that number. This disproportionately impacts women. Sixty-four percent of Iranian businesses on Instagram are women-owned.”
The trade organization of Iran has experienced significat loss
Enterprises rely on digital platforms in various ways, from customer communication to transaction processing. But digital disruptions affect businesses of all sizes. For example, several Iranian trade organizations have recently stated that their member companies are experiencing significant losses. According to some sources, hundreds of thousands of small businesses were impacted by the current outage.
Since Mahsa Amini, 22, passed away while being held by Iran’s “morality police” for allegedly violating the hijab dress code, the protest movement there has gained traction. Nearly 500 people, including almost 60 children. They have died at protests since September as authorities use increasingly brutal force on protesters. More than 18,000 individuals have been detained by Iranian law enforcement in connection with the demonstrations.
It is challenging to determine the precise economic impact of the digital outages. Moreover to separate it from other factors such as external restrictions. The State Department, however, believes that the Iranian regime feels more threatened by the current protest movement. But by earlier public waves of resistance based on the rising internet shutdown methods and tolerance for self-inflicted damage.
The State Department referenced an analysis of the most recent shutdown. The statement was published at the end of November by a coalition of digital rights organizations. Clearly, the Iranian government has been using a growing range of technical tools to make it harder for the public to work past digital limitations. For instance, the government has increased its ability to interfere with encrypted connections to undercut individuals’ efforts to conceal their web usage.
Additionally, authorities have increased restrictions on the Google Play Store.
Apple’s App Store and browser extension stores make it more difficult for Iranians to obtain circumvention tools. A State Department commented, “committed to helping the Iranian people exercise their universal right to freedom of expression and to freely access information via the internet.”
