Short Wave

Iran offline: How a government can turn off the internet

January 26, 2026

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  • The Iranian government has become more sophisticated in implementing internet shutdowns since 2019, moving from blunt force disconnection to selective whitelisting of services to maintain government communication and control information. 
  • Internet connectivity monitoring projects like IOTA use three primary signals—router announcements, active probing, and telescope traffic—to detect and analyze global internet outages. 
  • Despite government efforts to centralize infrastructure and jam signals (including Starlink), the resilience of decentralized networks, as seen in Ukraine, highlights a continuous technological race between state control and internet accessibility. 

Segments

Monitoring Iran Internet Outage
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(00:00:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Researchers detected the near-complete internet shutdown in Iran starting around January 8th through monitoring data.
  • Summary: Amanda Meng, part of the IOTA research project, began receiving messages about network interference before visible data abnormalities appeared. The measurements started falling off significantly on January 8th, indicating a near-total disconnection from the global internet. This shutdown was implemented by the Iranian regime during ongoing protests against inflation and currency devaluation.
Internet Shutdown Tactics and Context
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(00:01:08)
  • Key Takeaway: Internet shutdowns are a recurring tactic by the Iranian regime to suppress mobilization and control information, often citing national security.
  • Summary: The regime uses shutdowns to suppress mobilization and create chaos, potentially driving people off the streets by cutting access to emergency services. Initially a total blackout, the current shutdown has evolved to include whitelisted domestic services like Google search, while external communication like Gmail remains blocked. Only an estimated 3% of Iranians remain online via Starlink, which is considered a crime.
Technical Definition of Internet
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(00:05:28)
  • Key Takeaway: The internet is fundamentally a ’network of networks’ composed of interconnected endpoints (hosts/clients) linked by routers, switches, and various physical or wireless links.
  • Summary: The internet is defined as an inter-network, designed to make different networks interoperable, including those belonging to ISPs, universities, and telecom operators. Endpoints like computers and cell phones communicate via intermediate nodes (routers/switches) connected by links such as fiber cables, Wi-Fi, or satellite signals.
Centralization Enables Shutdowns
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(00:07:16)
  • Key Takeaway: A country’s ability to shut down the internet is directly related to the centralization of its connectivity infrastructure.
  • Summary: The organization of connectivity infrastructure varies by country; high centralization, often involving a single state telecom, makes shutdowns easier. Iran’s infrastructure is fairly centralized, and the government has worked for years to control traffic flow through specific intermediate nodes and links. This centralization allows the government to exert significant control over national connectivity.
IOTA Monitoring Methods
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(00:08:23)
  • Key Takeaway: IOTA monitors global connectivity using router announcements, active probing (pinging networks), and analyzing background ’telescope traffic’ noise.
  • Summary: IOTA provides public data insights into internet connectivity status globally. Router announcements show which networks claim reachability for specific IP addresses. Active probing involves constantly pinging networks worldwide to check responsiveness. Telescope traffic, cleansed noise captured via research infrastructure, serves as a continuous liveness signal from different regions.
Evolution of Shutdown Sophistication
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(00:09:53)
  • Key Takeaway: The 2022 shutdown tactics are more sophisticated than the 2019 ‘Bloody November’ shutdown, which relied on blunt force reduction.
  • Summary: During the 2019 protests, routing announcements dropped significantly, but the government lacked sophisticated control like whitelisting. Now, they implement more precise shutdowns, potentially allowing trusted journalists or officials access while mitigating economic costs by only shutting down mobile connectivity in some instances.
Satellite Internet Reachability
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(00:11:35)
  • Key Takeaway: Even satellite internet systems like Starlink are not entirely beyond the reach of government countermeasures, such as signal jamming.
  • Summary: The question remains whether any internet infrastructure is completely beyond government reach, especially with the evolution of satellite systems. Signal jamming, exemplified by efforts against Starlink satellites owned by SpaceX, demonstrates that even this connectivity can be targeted by state actors.
Value of Connectivity Research
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(00:12:22)
  • Key Takeaway: Research into internet failure, whether due to government action or natural disasters, is crucial for understanding sovereignty and civic participation.
  • Summary: Studying internet connectivity failure helps scientists better understand the opaque infrastructure, especially concerning outages caused by power loss or natural disasters. The decentralized nature of Ukraine’s internet provided greater resilience compared to more centralized systems. The internet remains vital for participating in civic life, including mobilizing resources beyond just protests.
Impact of Losing Internet Access
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(00:13:48)
  • Key Takeaway: The immediate losses during an internet outage include connection to loved ones, access to safety navigation tools, and essential financial services.
  • Summary: The primary loss reported by affected individuals is the inability to connect with family members to confirm safety. People also lose access to critical applications like mapping services needed to navigate to safety. Furthermore, access to bank accounts and numerous other daily necessities reliant on digital connectivity is severed.