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"
Tag Archives: Tiered Internet
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"
The Right to Internet: From Individual Claims to a Social Crisis ; Exploring the Lived Experience of Iranian Users During Internet Blackouts
This report is based on an analysis of 20 in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted with 16 adults and 4 adolescents from different cities across Iran. The participants represent a diverse range of professions and social backgrounds, from students and homemakers to programmers, traders, and freelancers. Despite differences in age and occupation, all of them share aContinue reading "The Right to Internet: From Individual Claims to a Social Crisis ; Exploring the Lived Experience of Iranian Users During Internet Blackouts"
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"
The Digital Frontline: Tiered Internet, Infrastructure Control, and Information Warfare in Iran
The landscape of internet access in Iran has entered a transformative and restrictive new phase, accelerated by the intersection of domestic unrest and international military conflict. While the country has historically relied on blanket filtering, recent developments—documented primarily through Filterwatch and technical network data—reveal a shift toward a systematic, tiered access model. This transition isContinue reading "The Digital Frontline: Tiered Internet, Infrastructure Control, and Information Warfare in Iran"
Digital Repression in Iran: Implementing Undisclosed Policies for Tiered Access and Judicial Control
In October 2025, the Iranian government intensified its strategy of digital repression through the practical, step-by-step implementation of policies derived from the undisclosed 32-article resolution of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace (SCC). The key development was the expansion of a tiered internet structure at the university level and the institutionalization of sweeping new legal controls.Continue reading "Digital Repression in Iran: Implementing Undisclosed Policies for Tiered Access and Judicial Control"
The 12-Day War’s Legacy: Security-Driven Policies Dominate Iran’s Digital Ecosystem
Over the past month, Iran's digital landscape has been plagued by widespread internet disruptions, blocking of WhatsApp voice and video calls, and GPS malfunctions. At the same time, authorities arrested managers of the Rasmio platform and seized its database, shut down the online petition site Karzar, and barred the founder of the Divar app fromContinue reading "The 12-Day War’s Legacy: Security-Driven Policies Dominate Iran’s Digital Ecosystem"
Tiered Internet: A Case Study in Selective Access and Digital Inequality
Tiered Internet is a concept that transforms internet access from a universal right into a special privilege for a select group. It refers to a type of internet access that, based on the segregation of domestic and international traffic, determines access to international internet content based on factors such as age, gender, occupation, education, andContinue reading "Tiered Internet: A Case Study in Selective Access and Digital Inequality"