The world has its eyes on Iran. But people in the country are being cut off from communications, making it nearly impossible to share what's happening there. For many Iranians, both inside and outside the country, the isolation and chaos have only heightened concerns about the future of their homeland. Verified information is hard to come by, but it is estimated that between 95 and 99 percent of the country's communications network - from mobile and landline phones to the internet - has been down for several days.
On Tuesday, the ability to dial foreign phone numbers was partially restored, but incoming calls from abroad remained blocked, as did the internet, causing disruptions that go far beyond personal communication.
"The consequences are enormous. "Checks can't be cashed, money transfers are impossible, businesses are suffering, truck drivers aren't working their usual schedules, so goods aren't getting from factory to consumer - all things that affect our entire daily lives," says Iranian digital rights expert Amir Rashidi. He says it's hard to talk about a general picture because there are differences between regions. But overall, communications are completely cut off early in the evening, and ATMs aren't working at all, says Rashidi.
Communication blackouts are a tool of repression
The Iranian authorities' communications blackout is part of their strategy to pressure protesters to quell the uprising. Several videos of the clashes have emerged in recent days, as some Iranians have managed to circumvent the blackout through sophisticated schemes using various digital tools - such as Telegram proxies, special search engines and secret messaging apps such as Delta Chat. All of this poses a serious risk to those who practice it.
N., a 28-year-old Iranian student who now lives in Cologne, told DW that she was finally able to contact her brother in Iran, who had wanted to join the protests. N.'s name, as well as the names of the other Iranians DW spoke to, have been anonymized for security reasons.
"A friend told me that a friend of his knew another person who could connect us. I don't know exactly how it works. I gave them my brother's phone number and they were able to send me a voice message from him. I cried. In it, he says that everyone at home is fine and that he will not go out anymore, especially at night. He told me that my family wants me not to worry about them and to concentrate on my exams at the university. I don't know how many people heard this message before it reached me, I also know that such communication is very risky, but at this stage I just didn't care. I tried to be as careful as possible and not to mention to anyone that my brother wanted to join the protests, "the woman shares.
Which are approved by the government
Elon Musk's satellite system "Starlink" is also operating at reduced capacity. SpaceX's technology is used in similar situations - for example, in Ukraine and Sudan, as well as in previous protest movements in Iran. Expert Rashidi says that the government in Tehran is restoring access to certain sites that were previously approved by the authorities. These are usually government websites.
Even before the internet shutdown due to the protests, Iran had very tight control over social media and VPN systems to bypass blocked sites. This was done through the Supreme Council for Cyberspace, which routes Iran's internet traffic through the National Information Network, which is basically a state version of the internet. Rashidi also said that the authorities want to allow only certain demographic groups to access different sites - for example, only men or only adults, but not young people.
Families separated
Iranians living abroad are particularly worried about their relatives back home, with whom they are now out of contact. Lili A., 31, who lives in Berlin, told DW that only one of her friends from a small town in Iran has been able to contact her. "However, he is unable to contact other people in the country, so I have not been able to contact my family even indirectly," the woman says, adding that the friend in question worked in a position that required internet access, and due to the blackout, he is currently not at work.
“It is very unusual for me to not be in contact with my family for so long. They are elderly and we are used to talking almost every day, even if it is only for a short time. I am afraid that the news of the unrest is frightening them and could harm their health. It is difficult for me to focus on my daily life like this”, says Lili. She hopes that communication channels will be restored soon. "But what I fear most is the lack of safety and stability for the people of Iran", she says.
Internet restrictions to continue
Rashidi believes that the authorities view the current protests as a serious threat that requires a longer-term communication shutdown. "Things are more serious. So I think we should expect at least 10 days without communication, if not more. "I wouldn't be surprised if the internet remains down for a long time," the expert said. According to him, even if the internet connection is restored, some restrictions will remain.
"Whenever the internet has been down before, we usually haven't come back under the same conditions. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the restrictions remain forever," he said. "If the protests are suppressed and people hypothetically return to their daily lives, the internet will still not be the same."
Author: Matt Pearson