Executive Summary and Key Trends The fourth report in the Cyber Threats in Iran series examines data recorded by the Digital Security Helpline over the six-month period from 22 March to 22 September 2026. This period unfolded amid the continuing repercussions of the December 2025 - January 2026 protests, a wave of arrests and deviceContinue reading "AI in the Service of Repression: From Targeted Phishing to Gender-Based Harassment"
Author Archives: Filterwatch
Iran’s Government Fears Its Filtering Is Failing: From the “Blackout” to Declaring War on Starlink
Developments over the past month show that communications controls are expanding rapidly into every layer of users’ digital lives. This includes official announcements targeting satellite internet technologies, cutting off SIM cards and phone lines of Instagram-based businesses, conditioning infrastructure access on identity verification, and linking services and network resources to real-world identities. Taken together, theseContinue reading "Iran’s Government Fears Its Filtering Is Failing: From the “Blackout” to Declaring War on Starlink"
A Fraying Connection: Iranians Spend 39% Less Time Online Than the Global Average
Two months after what the Iranian government has described as the “restoration of international internet access”, new data from the Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA) paints a very different picture of the everyday internet experience in Iran. Rather than a genuine return to normal connectivity, the findings point to a gradual and less visible erosionContinue reading "A Fraying Connection: Iranians Spend 39% Less Time Online Than the Global Average"
From Partial Internet Restoration to Tighter Control Over Data Centers
One month after the partial restoration of international internet access, internet policymaking in Iran remains heavily driven by security-driven narratives. Amid ongoing disputes over the source of recent cyberattacks, data centers' access to the global internet has still not returned to its pre–January 8 level. Furthermore, authorities are now conditioning server connectivity on opaque userContinue reading "From Partial Internet Restoration to Tighter Control Over Data Centers"
The Illusion of Reconnection: Iran’s New Hybrid Internet Shutdown Model
On May 26, 2026, after 88 days of severe restrictions on international internet access, network monitoring platforms recorded the first signs of connectivity returning to Iran. Yet the apparent restoration did not amount to a full return to the global internet. Instead, the recovery was gradual, uneven, and accompanied by significant political controversy. This reportContinue reading "The Illusion of Reconnection: Iran’s New Hybrid Internet Shutdown Model"
The Fragmented Return: Inside Iran’s Gradual Internet Restoration and Political Tug-of-War
Following a period of severe digital disruption, internet connectivity in Iran has begun showing signs of a gradual but highly contested restoration. This report details the unfolding factional power struggle over Iran's digital borders, highlighting a dynamic shift from high-level national security shutdown orders to recent, conflicting judicial interventions. Because this transition began only today,Continue reading "The Fragmented Return: Inside Iran’s Gradual Internet Restoration and Political Tug-of-War"
From the Open Internet to Internet Sovereignty: Death of the Global Internet
The Islamic Republic of Iran is entering a new era of digital authoritarianism with the role of a long anticipated, discriminatory system of internet access. On April 14th, Sattar Hashemi, the ICT Minister, unveiled the government’s plan in an op-ed for Shargh daily using terms like, “internet sovereignty,” "strategic infrastructure," “digital governance,” “stable communications,” andContinue reading "From the Open Internet to Internet Sovereignty: Death of the Global Internet"
From Massacre to War; Escalation of Cyber and Transnational Repression Amidst Digital Blackout
Executive Summary and Trends The third installment of the Iran Cyber Threats report series has been published following a delay caused by the rapid developments of the Dey protests (late December 2025–January 2026) and escalating military tensions. Given the sensitivity of this period and the emergence of new threat patterns, the data collection for thisContinue reading "From Massacre to War; Escalation of Cyber and Transnational Repression Amidst Digital Blackout"
Under Fire: Tighter Communications, Broader Surveillance
As the shadow of war continues to loom over the country and state control over communications intensifies, this report builds on Filterwatch’s previous analysis of the conflict's initial weeks. By examining the escalating internet crisis and heightened security pressures between March 16 and April 1, 2026, we provide a clearer assessment of the government's currentContinue reading "Under Fire: Tighter Communications, Broader Surveillance"
Is Iran Bracing for a Repeat of January? Targeted Access Bans and the National Information Network Crisis
More than two weeks after Iranian users were systematically severed from the global internet, technical data and field reports indicate the digital crisis has entered a volatile new phase. Since March 13, 2026, the regime’s restrictive architecture has expanded beyond general blocking to target even the "white SIM cards"—the privileged connections previously reserved for state-alignedContinue reading "Is Iran Bracing for a Repeat of January? Targeted Access Bans and the National Information Network Crisis"