Iran blocks internet as protests grow

Iran blocks internet as protests grow

Following protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died in police custody, the Iranian government has blocked access to various online platforms to curb the growing movement.

Amini was detained for allegedly improperly wearing her headscarf. The state is still investigating her death, but claims all signs point to natural causes. Though opponents believe the woman died due to police abuse.

Street rallies and police attempts to disperse crowds have escalated into violence, with multiple protestors and security force agents having been killed so far.

Amini’s death came amid a recent government crackdown on women's rights, which included an increase on the punishment for posting anti-hijab content online. Azadeh Akbari, an academic researcher of cyberviolence, says the internet shutdowns are an extension of the violence and repression in the real world. Protestors worldwide have long used social media to organise and amplify acts of resistance, free from state policing.

Akbari fears that internet blackouts could be used to facilitate the growth of the Iranian national internet, cut off from the global internet. This would allow the government to control cyberspace, along with policing the physical space.

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