{"id":20414,"date":"2026-05-14T07:15:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T07:15:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/irans-tiered-internet-system-sparks-backlash-as-users-pay-for-restricted-connectivity-amid-blackout\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T07:15:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T07:15:31","slug":"irans-tiered-internet-system-sparks-backlash-as-users-pay-for-restricted-connectivity-amid-blackout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/irans-tiered-internet-system-sparks-backlash-as-users-pay-for-restricted-connectivity-amid-blackout\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran\u2019s tiered internet system sparks backlash as users pay for restricted connectivity amid blackout"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PARIS, May 14 — After months under a near-total internet blackout during the Middle East war, Iranian tech worker Amir-Hassan was finally able to get back online, but only through a privileged service that has sparked public criticism.<\/p>\n

Millions like the 39-year-old have been unable to access the internet since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, punishing the pockets of online entrepreneurs and workers.<\/p>\n

But he did not hesitate when a message offered him the chance to get back online by purchasing the so-called “Pro Internet” system, designed for certain professionals and business owners.<\/p>\n

“It was out of necessity. I was forced to get internet so I could ensure the flow of my income,” he told AFP, adding that he paid around US$11 (RM43.20) for an initial 50-gigabyte package.<\/p>\n

By April 5, internet monitor NetBlocks estimated that the blackout since the war broke out was “the longest nation-scale internet shutdown on record in any country”.<\/p>\n

It has left most in the dark online except for some limited local websites, banking services and state-approved applications.<\/p>\n

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The web was already heavily restricted at the height of anti-government protests in January, but when war broke out the internet became another tool of control for Iran’s hardline government.<\/p>\n

Critics are accusing authorities of creating a tiered system in which broader connectivity is reserved for select groups.<\/p>\n

“This model of categorising and classifying the internet in Iran is not a good model… it is clearly meant to generate money,” said Amir-Hassan.<\/p>\n

Users have to pay more for additional internet usage at higher-than-normal prices, he added.<\/p>\n

The tiered system allowed Amir-Hassan to access WhatsApp and Telegram but not other major platforms that have long been blocked in Iran, such as Instagram, X and YouTube, without a VPN (virtual private network) to circumvent the restrictions.<\/p>\n

Others reported varying levels of access, suggesting the service was not the same for all subscribers.<\/p>\n

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‘Third-class citizen’ <\/strong><\/p>\n

The selective access also comes with social burdens, with criticism directed at buyers.<\/p>\n

“There is judgement too… people say you went and put money into the pocket of a government that unfairly offers this,” said Amir-Hassan.<\/p>\n

Yet the special access has not been given to everyone within the intended groups of professionals.<\/p>\n

Behrooz Mahmoodi-Bakhtiari, a linguistics professor at the University of Tehran, said he had not received the same message inviting him to subscribe.<\/p>\n

He can only reliably access the internet while on campus.<\/p>\n

“As soon as you step out of the university, you will again become a third-class citizen, and you have no internet access,” he said, noting that other professors had received the internet offer.<\/p>\n

The reformist Shargh daily newspaper and other outlets have described the system as “tiered internet”, criticising what they called “the transformation of the internet from a public and civic right into an allocable privilege”.<\/p>\n

As criticism has mounted, government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said the internet situation would return to normal “once the shadow of war is gone”.<\/p>\n

She blamed “enemies”, referring to Israel and the United States, for creating security conditions that forced the government to impose the blackout.<\/p>\n

‘Not worthwhile’ <\/strong><\/p>\n

In recent years users in Iran have grown accustomed to relying on VPNs to bypass restrictions on major social media platforms.<\/p>\n

But for many Iranians, even those eligible to subscribe to the tiered internet access, paying for the “Pro Internet” service has become an extra financial burden.<\/p>\n

Since the outbreak of war, many households have come under growing financial strain as Iran’s economy – already battered by years of sanctions – deteriorated further.<\/p>\n

Inflation has surged above 50 percent in recent weeks, while the rial has lost much of its value against the dollar, sending prices of basic goods sharply higher.<\/p>\n

“The amount of data offered, in my view, is not economically worthwhile for users compared to the cost,” said Mehdi, a 34-year-old graphic designer.<\/p>\n

He still purchased the service for his work, but acknowledged that “not everyone can afford to buy” the package.<\/p>\n

Kaveh, a 38-year-old visual artist, said he had also been offered the option of upgrading to the “Pro Internet” plan but rejected it, saying it was not worth the cost.<\/p>\n

He already pays separately for VPN services to bypass restrictions and said he would not pay for “a little amount of freedom to some of us as a favour, at 10 times the normal price”. —- AFP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Iran’s tiered internet system sparks backlash as users pay for restricted connectivity amid blackout<\/sub><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PARIS, May 14 — After months under a near-total internet blackout during the Middle East war, Iranian tech worker Amir-Hassan was finally able to get back online, but only through a privileged service that has sparked public criticism. Millions like the 39-year-old have been unable to access the internet since the United States and Israel…<\/p>\n

Read More “Iran\u2019s tiered internet system sparks backlash as users pay for restricted connectivity amid blackout”<\/span> »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20415,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20414"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20414\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}