- Iran imposed an internet shutdown on January 8 amid growing protests
- VPNs can’t help people get back online, Starlink is also being targeted
- Iranians have been protesting the economic crisis since December 28
Iran imposed a near-total internet blackout on Thursday (8 January) as citizens took to the streets for a 12th straight day of protests.
Several network monitoring organizations confirmed that the blackout began at approximately 18:45 UTC (22:15 local time).
Prior to the total blackout, a sharp drop in IPv6 traffic was recorded. Cloudflare noted that this early drop likely indicated that the government was selectively blocking internet access as the protests intensified.
The shutdown is underway. NetBlocks data shows that national connectivity is “flattening at ~1% of mainstream levels.”
Amir Rashidi, director of internet security and digital rights at Miaan Group, confirmed that while global access is down, the domestic mobile network – often referred to as the national information network – now appears to be working in the country.
Rashidi also reported that international phone calls to the country have been cut, adding: “We witnessed the same situation during the war.”
Are there any workaouds?
Blocking the Internet during times of political unrest is a widespread tactic among authoritarian governments seeking to disrupt communications, both domestically and internationally.
While restricting access to WhatsApp, Signal or X severely disrupts citizens’ ability to stay in touch, these targeted blocks are often easily circumvented by using best VPN apps.
However, a VPN requires an active internet connection to work, meaning they offer little help during a nationwide internet shutdown.
Proton VPN has reported that its traffic from Iran has dropped significantly since the blackout began.
Proton VPN sessions originating in Iran are down, confirming that the infrastructure that allows people to access the internet is being shut down. Normally, Proton VPN helps people affected by censorship to bypass it, but in this case, the internet has been completely shut down. pic.twitter.com/9AamyvGgq58 January 2026
Iranians have reportedly turned to Starlink connections to get back online.
Because the SpaceX service relies on satellite infrastructure rather than local cables, it is theoretically resistant to traditional Internet restrictions.
However, Rashidi and other sources in Iran indicate that the state is now targeting these links. By jamming GPS and satellite signals, authorities have reportedly degraded Starlink’s performance, with data suggesting packet loss has reached 30%.
“I’ve been monitoring and researching access to the Internet for the last 20 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” Rashidi told TechRadar.
Azam Jangravi, information security analyst at Citizen Lab, confirmed that most citizens remain cut off from the global internet.
“It’s one of the worst shutdowns we’ve seen in years,” she said. “This kind of shutdown is devastating. People can’t share what’s happening, can’t reach their loved ones, can’t work or study. It’s isolating.”
Why is Iran shutting down the internet?
Mass anti-government rallies have broken out across several cities in Iran since late December, fueled by the country’s deepening economic crisis.
These demonstrations appear to be the largest in Iran since the 2022 movement after the death of Mahsa Amini.
France 24 reports that at least 42 people have died so far in the recent attack, according to human rights monitors.
Jangravi warned that the ongoing internet blackout could hide further violence, causing the situation to deteriorate rapidly.
“The risks are huge,” she told TechRadar. “Without the Internet, there’s no way to document abuses or organize safely. I’m afraid things could escalate. But I also know Iranians are resilient. They always find ways to talk, even in the dark.”
