Iran Plans Permanent Break From Global Internet

Iran is reportedly preparing to permanently disconnect most of its population from the global internet, granting online access only to individuals approved by the government, according to Iranian digital rights groups.

Filterwatch, an organisation that tracks internet censorship in Iran, says a secret plan is being implemented to turn access to the international internet into a privilege reserved for the state. The group cites sources inside Iran who claim officials have already suggested that full internet access will not be restored after 2026.

Under this plan, only people who pass security screenings or receive official clearance would be able to use a restricted version of the global internet, said Amir Rashidi of Filterwatch. The rest of the population would be limited to Iran’s national internet — a closed, domestic network isolated from the wider world.

The current internet blackout began on 8 January following nearly two weeks of growing anti-government protests. Thousands have reportedly been killed during the unrest, which has slowed after a violent crackdown. Because of the shutdown, very little information is leaving the country. The blackout is now one of the longest and most severe in history, surpassing Egypt’s 2011 shutdown during the Arab Spring. Iranian officials have indicated that international access will remain blocked until at least Nowruz, the Persian New Year on 20 March.

A former US state department official familiar with internet censorship said a permanent separation from the global internet was both believable and alarming, though it would come at a high cost. They warned the economic and cultural consequences could be devastating and that the government risks going too far.

Rashidi noted that authorities appear satisfied with the current level of connectivity and believe the shutdown has helped them regain control.

Iran’s ability to enforce such restrictions is the result of a long-term strategy spanning more than 16 years. One part involves advanced filtering systems that allow only selected users to access the global internet, a method known as whitelisting. Researchers say this system was likely supported by Chinese-made technology, including powerful middleboxes that can monitor, block, or manipulate internet traffic on a massive scale.

At the same time, Iran has expanded its national internet — a domestic network that hosts government-approved services such as messaging apps, search engines, navigation tools, and a state-run streaming platform. This network is heavily monitored and largely disconnected from the global web.

Efforts to create this system began after protests in 2009, when authorities briefly shut down the internet and realised the economic damage of a total blackout. In response, the government began developing a controlled domestic alternative. By 2012, the Supreme Council of Cyberspace was formed to oversee this shift.

Over the following decade, officials pressured businesses and service providers to move infrastructure inside Iran by offering incentives or blocking those who refused. Researchers later discovered that Iran had successfully built a fully internal internet, similar to private corporate networks that cannot be accessed from outside.

Today, the national internet remains operational while the global internet is largely unavailable, making it the primary way most Iranians go online. Although the system may continue to evolve, it remains isolated from the rest of the world.

Experts say Iran’s demonstrated ability to control internet access surpasses that of many other authoritarian states. However, whether the government can sustain this model long-term remains uncertain, as the economic consequences could ultimately harm the regime itself.