Iran’s Internet: A Shrinking Space for Communication

The internet landscape in Iran is rapidly deteriorating. Soaring costs, coupled with increasing repression by the regime and its cyber police, known as FATA, are leading to a significant decline in internet quality and accessibility.

In January 2024, the Government Commission of Internet and Infrastructure of the Tehran Electronic Commerce Association published a survey on the internet situation in 50 countries. The survey assessed three key factors: internet service disruptions, restrictions on internet services, and internet speed.

The results were alarming. Iran ranked:

• 47th (out of 50) for internet service disruption – the fourth worst!
• 49th for internet service restrictions – the second worst!
• 50th for internet speed – the absolute slowest!

Overall, Iran scored a staggering 146 negative points out of a possible 150, landing it dead last in the rankings.

These actions by the regime are no accident. They are part of a deliberate strategy to:

• Gradually Isolate Iranians: The regime aims to progressively restrict access to the global internet, making it difficult for ordinary citizens to connect without causing immediate uproar. This incremental approach allows them to tighten control without sparking widespread resistance.

• Force Users Onto a Domestic Network: Ultimately, the regime wants to push Iranians towards a state-controlled domestic internet, heavily monitored by the Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS). This would allow them to completely control the flow of information and stifle dissent.

The regime’s motivation for these actions is clear: to prevent new uprisings. By restricting access to the outside world and controlling the information available to its citizens, they hope to limit their exposure to ideas and movements that could challenge their authority.

This approach, however, comes at a steep price. It stifles innovation, hinders economic growth, and isolates Iran from the global community. More importantly, it denies Iranian citizens their fundamental right to free access to information and the ability to connect with the wider world.