Isolation and Billion-Dollar Losses… Iran Drowns in 'Digital Darkness'

Iran stands today, Monday April 27, on the threshold of the 60th day of complete disconnection from the global internet. According to NetBlocks, the organization that monitors internet disruptions worldwide, this unprecedented outage entered its 59th day after 1,392 hours of disconnection, with Tuesday marking the end of the second month of this "digital darkness."

Over these eight weeks, the internet has transformed from a communications tool into something with wide economic and social consequences. Iranian Vice President Zahra Behrouz Azar, in charge of women's affairs, noted that women were the most affected by the situation, and that many of their home-based and small businesses had been destroyed. She described the situation as being "imposed like a war," confirming the undeniable losses that had been incurred.

As Iran's internet outage approached 1,400 hours, a wave of protests and criticism emerged over granting special access to certain social groups. Economic estimates suggest the head of the Knowledge Economy Committee in the Chamber of Commerce estimated direct daily losses at approximately 30–40 million dollars, rising to 70–80 million dollars per day when indirect losses are included.

Iran's Communications and Information Technology Minister Sattar Hashemi also warned that the continuation of this situation seriously threatens direct and indirect jobs for approximately 10 million people, noting that the average endurance of many such businesses does not exceed 20 days.

At the social level, the country is experiencing a state of division: Generation Z views the internet as more than a communications tool — it is linked to education, digital identity, and mental health. In contrast, it was noted that government officials are still able to access blocked platforms via "privileged SIM cards," while access has been cut off for approximately 90 million people.

In this context, one citizen wrote in a message to Iran International: "With great difficulty I bought an expensive connection setup to access the internet. Inflation is rampant, and internet disruption has paralyzed our lives."

The "Pro Internet" or "White Lines" project also sparked controversy, with Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani noting "considerations" under which internet would be granted only to those who can "convey the system's vision." This project, seen as stratifying internet access, drew widespread backlash.

The head of the Iranian judiciary, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, referring to reports of these lines being granted in exchange for large sums, described it as "an example of discrimination and corruption" and ordered an investigation.

In civil reactions, the Iranian Graphic Designers Association described the "Pro Internet" project as degrading, affirming its refusal to collectively apply for this special privilege while emphasizing the right to free access for all. The association noted that members could individually apply for this internet at ten times the standard tariff with limited consumption, with names of applicants published for transparency.

The project was also framed in criticisms that described it as an "insult to human intelligence in the age of artificial intelligence."

At the same time, the government continues to implement the "National Cloud" project on a Huawei platform, with the goal of enabling permanent disconnection from the global internet — a step widely viewed as a means to monopolize official narratives.

According to a report by Eqtesad News, the "Pro Internet" project was launched amid speculation about large financial flows, with tariffs reaching ten times the normal rate — potentially providing financial inflows estimated in the thousands of billions of tomans for operators and intermediary entities, with a large portion resulting from companies being forced to accept these tariffs to survive.