Iran’s 70-Day Internet Blackout Reveals A Regime That Still Fears Its Own People
Iran's internet blackout has lasted over seventy days, indicating a deeper fear within the regime regarding social and political connectivity. This prolonged shutdown aims to disrupt the communication among dissenting groups, preventing them from organizing and mobilizing collectively. The situation reflects the regime's anxiety about the potential for renewed protests and the power of interconnected resistance.
- ▪The Iranian authorities have implemented a 70-day internet blackout to contain unrest.
- ▪This shutdown is not just about censoring information but disrupting the social connectivity that fuels dissent.
- ▪The regime's extended restrictions suggest ongoing fears of a reactivated protest movement.
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Iran Blackout. Photo: Marco Verch, via ccnull.de. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 DE (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/de/). Guest Contributor Iran’s 70-Day Internet Blackout Reveals A Regime That Still Fears Its Own People Hamid EnayatMay 18, 2026Add comment At first glance, Iran’s prolonged internet shutdown may appear to be a temporary security measure aimed at containing unrest or preventing images of repression from reaching the outside world. But the continuation of severe connectivity restrictions for more than seventy days points to something far deeper than crowd control or censorship. What the Iranian authorities appear to fear is not merely the circulation of information, but the social and political connectivity that allows dissent to transform into collective action.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Issues & Insights.