Watchdog: Internet disrupted in Iran amid water protests

The internet is heavily restricted in Iran, and the government initiated an internet blackout in 2019 during widespread protests in the country.
An Iranian woman surfs the internet at a cybercafe in central Tehran on Jan. 24, 2011.
An Iranian woman surfs the internet at a cybercafe in central Tehran on Jan. 24, 2011, a day after Iran officially launched its cyber police unit to confront internet crimes and counter social networks that spread "espionage and riots," police chief Esmaeil Ahmadi Moghaddam said. - ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images
Al Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Al-Monitor Staff

The Iranian government cut internet access in the past week during protests in an impoverished province, according to an internet watchdog.

There were disruptions to internet access on cellphones from July 15-20, and the blockage knocked out approximately 3% to 4% of mobile data in Iran, the London-based NetBlocks announced Wednesday. The group said there were “widespread user reports of cellular network disruptions, consistent with a regional internet shutdown intended to control protests.”

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