Iran shuts down internet, 'goes for near Blackout' as conflict with Israel deepens

Iran has reportedly went for a near-total Internet Blackout Tuesday (June 17) as conflict with Israel deepened. According to a report by NBC News, the drop appears to be a result of a decision by Iran’s government, rather than Israeli strikes on infrastructure. The report quotes Kentinc and Netblocks, the two companies that track global internet connectivity. According to NBC News, quoting these companies, Iran’s internet connectivity plummeted around 5:30 p.m. local time, limiting Iranians’ ability to access and share information with the outside world.The internet slowdowns appeared to particularly affect services like virtual private networks (VPNs) used to access foreign sites. Data published by the internet services company Cloudflare found that two major Iranian mobile network providers were effectively disconnected.

What Iran said on Internet Blackout

Fatemeh Mohajerani, a spokesperson for Iran’s government, reportedly said it had restricted internet access in response to Israeli cyberattacks.Iran’s government has historically shut down or reduced its internet connectivity with the outside world in times of civil unrest. In 2019, the country implemented a six-day full blackout as protesters took to the streets across the country and the government issued a crackdown on civilians, reportedly leading to the deaths of more than 100 people.

Apple, Google app stores and WhatsApp blocked

Amir Rashidi, the director of digital rights and security at the Miaan Group, a nonprofit organization that advocates for human rights in Iran, reportedly said that some Western apps for communicating, including WhatsApp and Instagram have been blocked. He further said that app stores of Google and Apple -- Google Play Store and App Store -- had been blocked in Iran.A WhatsApp spokesperson told NBC News that its parent company, Meta, has been engaged in a cat-and-mouse game with Iran.What is not blocked in IranThe report said that Iran’s National Information Network, a nationwide network of government-approved sites that are not connected to the outside world, has largely remained accessible to people in Iran. As internet services are restricted in the country, some people have called for Elon Musk’s satellite internet service provider, Starlink, to step in, the way it has in many parts of the world.