Iran Approves $11 Limited Internet Plan for Select Groups After 80-Day Shutdown
Updated
Updated · DW (English) · May 20
Iran Approves $11 Limited Internet Plan for Select Groups After 80-Day Shutdown
9 articles · Updated · DW (English) · May 20
Iran's National Security Council has approved "Internet Pro," a paid scheme giving selected groups limited access to foreign websites and international data after more than 80 days of near-total shutdown.
The plan targets business-linked users such as Chamber of Commerce members, startups, tech firms and retailers, offering 50 gigabytes for about $11 to keep economic activity and business communication running.
Researchers say the access remains heavily restricted: many users still cannot reach Instagram, X or YouTube without VPNs, and each account is tied to a national ID and registered mobile number.
Critics in Iran say the system turns internet access into a privilege, excluding students and many women who relied on online sales as inflation tops 50% and the blackout has erased jobs and small digital incomes.
The shutdown began after US and Israeli attacks on February 28 and has become Iran's longest on record, while President Masoud Pezeshkian promises restoration and a new crisis team centralizes internet policy.
How are 92 million Iranians surviving the world's longest digital siege as their economy collapses?
As Iran targets undersea data cables, is the global internet the next casualty of the Middle East war?
Is Iran's new tiered internet system creating a permanent model of 'Digital Apartheid' for state control?
The 2026 Iranian Digital Iron Curtain: Human Toll, Economic Collapse, and Global Implications
Overview
As of May 2026, Iran enforces a 'digital iron curtain,' tightly controlling internet access and isolating its people from the global web. This selective access lets the government manage information flow and maintain internal communication, but it comes at a high human cost. The restricted digital environment fuels widespread human rights abuses, including sham trials lacking due process and a climate of fear and injustice. These systemic failures directly impact the lives and freedoms of those accused, showing how digital control is used to suppress dissent and limit basic rights across the country.