Iran in Digital Blackout; Nationwide Internet Shutdown Amidst Surge of Protests

On the twelfth day of nationwide protests in Iran, global traffic monitoring companies including NetBlocks and Cloudflare report a drastic drop in internet connectivity across the country to a few percent of normal levels, indicating a near-complete blackout. Observers suggest this action is aimed at suppressing protests and concealing the extent of the crackdown. Since the evening of January 8, coinciding with the twelfth day of protests in 1404, internet connectivity in Tehran and dozens of other cities has suddenly plummeted to near-total disconnection. NetBlocks, a global internet monitoring company, has released live data indicating that Tehran and other areas have 'entered a digital blackout,' with access levels dropping to about 5% of normal at times. The organization emphasized that the current blackout follows 'a series of escalating digital censorship measures against the protests' and has effectively disrupted citizens' and media's communication with the outside world at a critical moment. Cloudflare Radar also reported that shortly before 1:00 PM local time, the IPv6 address space in Iran decreased by approximately 98.5%, and the share of IPv6 traffic fell from about 12% to around 1.8%, a pattern inconsistent with a natural disruption and described as 'engineered blocking.' Media outlets like TechCrunch, citing experts from Kinetic and independent researchers, have characterized the current situation as 'almost complete disconnection of Iran from the outside world,' noting that the blackout has been evident nationwide since around 8:00 PM local time. The ongoing protests, rooted in historical political dissatisfaction, initially began in response to the plummeting value of the rial, rising prices, and shortages of goods, and then spread to multiple cities with anti-government slogans and calls for political change. The government, in addition to using street violence, employs internet shutdowns as a key tool to prevent the dissemination of information about the crackdown and to hinder online organization among protesters. The nationwide internet shutdown at this level disrupts citizens' access to information, financial services, and communication with family and friends, and human rights organizations view it as a blatant violation of the right to access information and freedom of expression. Concurrently, threats from Iranian officials coincide with a warning from the U.S. State Department: the world is watching. On the twelfth day of nationwide protests, public gatherings and market strikes have expanded in various cities across Iran. Nationwide protests by Iranians and the internet shutdown; Khamenei stated among his allies that he will not back down. A joint statement from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch: the Islamic Republic is killing protesters and children. Trump: The enthusiasm of the people for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic regime is incredible; they love their country, which has gone back 150 years.