Iran sets record: more than a month without access to the global Internet

Iran has been under a complete Internet blackout for over a month, making it the longest nationwide blackout in the world on record. This was reported by international monitoring organizations, citing NetBlocks data.

According to available information, the blackout was introduced in late February after the security situation worsened due to military incidents involving the United States and Israel. Since then, access to international resources has remained blocked, and the blackout has already exceeded 864 hours, setting a kind of anti-record.

Despite this, the country operates a so-called “internal Internet,” which allows users to use only local sites and services. Access to global platforms, including social networks, is mainly possible through VPN services, the use of which is significantly complicated and may be accompanied by the risk of persecution.

Iranians report significant difficulties in obtaining objective information and communicating with the outside world. According to them, the lack of the Internet effectively isolates society, limiting access to news, educational resources and digital services.

At the same time, individual users are trying to circumvent the restrictions using satellite technologies, in particular the Starlink system, but their use is officially prohibited in the country.

Experts emphasize that such long Internet shutdowns have serious consequences not only for the economy, but also for fundamental human rights, in particular freedom of speech and access to information.

It is worth noting that this is not the first case of large-scale restrictions on access to the network in Iran. Previously, the country has already experienced long shutdowns against the background of domestic protests. However, the current situation has become unprecedented in its duration and scale.

Human rights organizations are calling on the international community to pay attention to the situation and increase pressure to restore full access to the global Internet for Iranian citizens.