Iran's internet shutdown is chillingly precise and may last some time

"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. But the level of shutdown in Iran is unprecedented and in some ways far harsher than its 2019 digital blackout, which internet observers described at the time as the most severe disconnection they had seen anywhere."

The internet shutdown in Iran has lasted 36 hours and marks a new high in sophistication and severity. Ninety percent of internet traffic to Iran evaporated when the blackout began. International calls appeared blocked and domestic mobile phones showed no service or antenna reception. Starlink satellite connections were subject to jamming with impacts varying by neighborhood. Iran's supreme leader continued to post on X multiple times during the outage. The blackout is more sweeping yet more fine-tuned than prior disruptions, which may allow authorities to maintain the disconnection for an extended period.

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