The Iranian diaspora demonstrates against the mullahs’ regime’s information blackout. Image: www.imago-images.de
The mullahs’ regime reacts to protests in Iran with a familiar strategy: switching off the communication networks. But the government is taking even more drastic action in the current protests.
Jan 13, 2026, 1:06 p.mJan 13, 2026, 1:18 p.m
When protests break out in Iran, the mullahs’ regime responds with the same tactic: an information blackout. The people in the country are cut off from the global Internet with the aim of stopping or at least controlling the flow of information among the population at home and abroad. The Iranian government has long been using the Internet as a political weapon.
This was the case with the protests in 2019 or 2022 or with the war against Israel in the summer of 2025. At that time, the country was isolated from the global internet.
However, people did not have to give up the Internet completely. At that time, services within the country remained accessible, only communication abroad was prevented. This is made possible by the so-called National Information Network (NIN). The NIN became influential under the former communications minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromia former secret service agent.
It is, so to speak, Iran’s intranet. Various digital services such as banking systems or even more banal things such as taxi services or online markets, similar to Amazon, will then only be processed via this intranet. This usually continued without restriction during past protests.
The goal is a self-sufficient infrastructure: only our own messenger services and search engines, email and banking systems. The idea first came up in 2005 and the project has been running since 2013. Iran should be able to completely disassociate itself from the global internet if the regime believes the situation requires it.
The “father” of digital isolation: Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi.Image: www.imago-images.de
“This has never happened before”
But the information blackout measures the government has taken during the current protests are unprecedented even for the mullahs’ regime. Because during the current protests, even the NIN was shut down, like that Tech portal “Iran Wire” reports. This means that even internet services developed in Iran were no longer accessible.
Opposite the “Time” says Mark Pashmfourousha computer scientist and internet activist:
«There has never been anything like this before. Even in November 2019 or during the war, at least domestic services were functioning. This time, even the connections between data centers and network operators have been cut. This is a real blackout.”
Mark Pashmfouroush
The decoupling of data centers and network operators currently means that even VPN services no longer help. According to Pashmfouroush, there have also been DNS shutdowns. In short, this means: visits to websites come to nothing and no more information comes through. International telephone connections are also interrupted.
However, the ban is likely to cause enormous costs for the Iranian regime. As the NZZ writes, the total shutdown is expected to cost around $1.15 million per hour. The mullahs’ regime cannot afford the blackout forever.
The government is now gradually restarting selected information services, as Amir Rashidi, human rights activist and head of the Iranian organization Miaan, told the NZZ. For example, government websites can be accessed by the population again.
Government is also taking action against Starlink
Another way the blackout differs from previous shutdowns is the partial disruption of satellite internet.
According to “Iran Wire”, there are an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 Starlink terminals in Iran. According to Rashidi, some of these tens of thousands of devices still work. But not everywhere: “The situation is different in every neighborhood, in every city,” he says in the NZZ.
And Rashidi tells Iran Wire that in 20 years of research, he has never experienced such a disruption caused by military devices called jammers.
“The technology used is highly advanced and military-grade and was probably supplied by Russia or China if it was not developed domestically,” he says.
Explained to the NZZ Manuel Eichelbergerwho researched this topic at ETH Zurich, said that from a technical point of view this could easily be done.
“For a few thousand francs you can buy powerful jammers that can jam the satellite radio.”
Manuel Eichelberger
Because jammers are spread across the country, the quality of Starlink service varies depending on location. In some areas the connection is relatively good, in others it is significantly worse.
So while the majority of the population is in the dark, the Iranian diaspora abroad is protesting against the information blackout. Of course, many are wondering how long the censorship will last.
In any case, various activists and human rights organizations are concerned. German MEP Hannah Neumann told Die Zeit: “Internet shutdowns lead to more violence, more arrests and more disappearances. It is a deliberate strategy to cover up violence.”
Reporters Without Borders also warns of the complete isolation of the Iranian population:
“De facto, there is currently only the official representation of the regime.”
Reporters Without Borders.