By John Q. Hosedrinker 
According to digital rights activists, Iran is reportedly planning a permanent separation from the global internet, restricting access to a filtered version for those with security clearance. This transition, which has been signaled by state media, would leave the majority of Iranians with access only to a domestic, government-controlled internet, a move that is part of a 16-year effort to control the country’s online activity. The regime has been developing this national internet since 2009, utilizing advanced filtering and monitoring systems, potentially with technology from China, and enforcing infrastructural moves within the country. While authorities believe the current shutdown has helped them control the situation, experts warn of severe economic and cultural consequences.
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Iran plans permanent break from global internet, say activists, and frankly, it makes a grim kind of sense when you consider how dictatorships cling to power. It’s like Iran is trying to become the North Korea of the Middle East, shutting itself off from the world. This is not just about censorship; it’s about control.
This brings up a chilling question: is this the digital equivalent of book burning, wiping away information and silencing dissent? The recent internet shutdowns, lasting for days during periods of unrest, are a clear indication of their intentions. They are clearly trying to systematically crush anyone who challenges them.
The immediate consequence is that the lives of those opposing the regime are in danger. There’s a sense of a heavy curtain falling, cutting off the Iranian people from the outside world. The hope is that this regime will crumble and face justice, but the immediate reality is a desperate attempt by the government to maintain its grip.
It’s natural to wonder how severing internet access helps with any of the country’s real problems, like the severe water crisis. One might even joke about the absurdity of banning electricity next. The press, especially in the West, is also to blame for this, because they aren’t reporting honestly, which, in turn, makes it easier for these regimes to get away with the suppression of basic human rights.
This is a growing trend, and it’s happening because it works and because outside pressure is lacking. It makes you wonder if, in the future, even democracies might consider similar measures to protect themselves, particularly in conflict zones or when facing internal threats. If shutting down the internet is cheap, disrupts the enemy, and doesn’t lead to diplomatic fallout, some might argue it’s a justifiable tactic.
It really does feel like a coordinated effort to control the narrative. Imagine the impact if Western news outlets relentlessly highlighted the worst atrocities. Iran might have been forced to open up, just to prove they weren’t *that* bad. But they know they can get away with it.
The Xinjiang situation in China is an example of what can be accomplished through internet shutdowns. We are likely going to see more of this in the future, first in authoritarian regimes and then, potentially, elsewhere. It’s as though all these autocrats know the end is near and are trying to grab as much power as possible. They just want to live their comfortable lives and don’t care about changing anything else.
Those leaders are, frankly, quite awful. They could have used their power for good, and now they’re lashing out because their people are tired of their incompetence. Their desperation just screams of insecurity, of a regime whose time is limited.
This whole thing is about power and control, not about the well-being of the people or the sustainability of the country. Authoritarians are often content to let everything burn if it means they stay in charge. Never believe their promises about the betterment of society; it’s always about their power.
They seem determined to become a hermit nation, like North Korea, which has a very dark future, given that they are so cut off from the rest of the world. It’s a sad, self-imposed exile.
Some even predicted this course of action. It’s almost as if they realized they had made a mistake and decided to double down on control. The world seems to turn a blind eye so long as they don’t “see any evil.”
The idea of permanently shutting down the internet is difficult to fully achieve, though. The internet is a decentralized network, and there are ways around these kinds of restrictions. Just like the War on Drugs, where authorities try to suppress things that people want, but can’t fully stop, the internet is something that has been invented, and it is here to stay.
The real answer, as this seems to suggest, is that it is all about power. The ultimate goal here is to cut off the people of Iran from the world so that they can try to keep their power, regardless of the consequences. They’ll make their own internet, probably with a mix of communism and Islam, and they won’t even realize how little they’re achieving.