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Internet Access in Iran Becomes a Luxury for the Few
By Echos News Editorial Team
Published: May 23, 2026
National Security Council’s New Plan
Iran’s National Security Council recently approved a controversial plan to grant certain groups paid internet access. The system, branded as “Internet Pro,” comes with strict daily usage limits on foreign websites and international data traffic. While the name suggests a technical upgrade, in reality it is simply a controlled allowance that bypasses the ongoing block on global connectivity. For many Iranians, this represents a shift from internet access as a public right to a privilege reserved for select groups.
Shutdown Since February Attacks
The internet in Iran has been largely shut down since February 28, when authorities blamed cyberattacks allegedly launched by the United States and Israel. Since then, ordinary citizens have struggled to connect to global platforms, conduct business, or access independent news. The restrictions have deepened isolation and widened the gap between those with resources and those without.
Platforms Remain Blocked
According to journalist and internet researcher Solmaz Eikder, major platforms such as Instagram, X, and YouTube remain inaccessible even for many Internet Pro users unless they rely on Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Eikder, who has lived in exile in Europe for five years, works with “Filterban,” a research initiative that documents censorship and surveillance in Iran. She notes that the system has stripped away countless small income opportunities, particularly for women in rural areas who once sold handmade goods or food online.
Economic Pressure Intensifies
Iran’s economy has been battered by inflation exceeding 50 percent and a steep decline in the value of the rial against the dollar. Prices for basic necessities have soared, while destroyed industrial facilities and production losses have eliminated tens of thousands of jobs. Beyond official statistics, millions of informal income streams have vanished due to internet blocks. Eikder explains that women who supported their families through online sales have been cut off from vital earnings, worsening household hardship.
Criticism of Internet Pro
Inside Iran, the system has faced widespread criticism. Newspapers such as Shargh argue that Internet Pro transforms access to communication and information from a civil right into a privilege. Students and women breadwinners are excluded from eligibility, leaving them dependent on costly VPNs or disconnected entirely. A 19‑year‑old engineering student told DW under condition of anonymity that she continues to buy VPN configurations on the black market, though many of her peers can no longer afford them.
Independent News Blocked
Oliver Linow, an internet freedom specialist at DW, points out that access to independent journalism has become extremely difficult. DW has been blocked in Iran since 2009, but the organization has long provided circumvention tools to help citizens bypass censorship. During near‑total shutdowns, however, these tools often fail. Linow warns that the blackout leaves Iranians vulnerable to state propaganda and deprives them of reliable information about the outside world.
Government Promises Restoration
President Masoud Pezeshkian has promised in recent weeks that internet service will soon be restored. Yet skepticism remains high. Multiple agencies — from the National Security Council to the Supreme Council for Cyberspace — hold overlapping authority over digital policy. This fragmented structure has fueled confusion and inconsistent enforcement, leaving citizens uncertain about what rules apply and when access might return.
New Crisis Management Team
In response, Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref has established a new crisis management team intended to end the “multiplicity of voices” in Iran’s internet governance. However, details remain opaque. According to Shargh, government officials have been prohibited from publicly explaining the responsibilities of the new body or discussing its mandate with the media. The secrecy has only deepened public mistrust, with many suspecting the team is another mechanism for control rather than reform.
Digital Divide Widens
The introduction of Internet Pro underscores a growing digital divide. Wealthier citizens and politically connected groups may gain limited access, while students, small business owners, and rural women are left behind. The policy risks entrenching inequality and silencing independent voices at a time when economic hardship and political tension are already high. For many Iranians, internet access has shifted from a daily necessity to an unattainable luxury.
Conclusion
Iran’s experiment with Internet Pro highlights the state’s determination to control digital space. While officials frame the system as a temporary solution, critics argue it is a dangerous precedent that undermines civil rights. As inflation rises and livelihoods collapse, the lack of open internet access compounds the crisis. Whether the promised restoration materializes remains uncertain, but for now, millions of Iranians face a future where connectivity is rationed, monitored, and reserved for the few.
Source: DW South Africa via MSN | By: Shabnam von Hein
© 2026 Echos News. All rights reserved.
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