For the second consecutive night, Iran has experienced a significant disruption to its internet services, the nation's connectivity plummeting to 71% of its standard levels during the latest outage.
The development follows a consistent trend of internet restrictions within Iran, with the government exerting more pressure to quash anti-regime sentiment online, particularly relating to raising momentum for further protests in the coming days as the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death nears.
Over the past two decades, Iran has imposed strict censorship measures on internet access, limiting citizens' ability to freely obtain information. This encompasses the blocking of numerous foreign and domestic websites, including reputable news outlets. However, these restrictions have been circumvented through the widespread use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and anti-filtering software.
Recent months have witnessed a more aggressive push by hardliners in the Iranian parliament to ratify legislation that would further restrict access to social media and the internet. Additionally, reports have circulated regarding plans to launch a domestic intranet, enabling authorities to exercise greater supervision over its content.