Services such as WhatsApp and Instagram are currently blocked in Iran, along with at least two major mobile phone networks, according to UK-based internet access monitoring service Netblocks. The internet outages come as protests against the hijab are taking place in several cities in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.
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Amini, who was arrested last week by Iran’s morality police for not covering herself modestly with a hijab while visiting Tehran – in fact, she was said to have not covered all of her hair with a hijab. Amini died on September 16 in a Tehran hospital after spending three days in a coma. The young woman was reportedly beaten by morality police before being admitted to the hospital, but Iranian officials insist she suffered a heart attack unrelated to the beating.
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As you can imagine, this incident has sparked outrage, with people protesting in the streets of Tehran (Iran's capital) and at least 50 other cities, according to Reuters. But the Iranian government seems to be hoping that the organization of these protests will be hindered, at least in part, by the strict control of the country's Internet infrastructure.
Videos show women cutting their hair to the cheers of the crowd.
WhatsApp and Instagram are the last social media companies still allowed in Iran, although some users inside the country are able to access platforms like Facebook and Twitter through VPN. But with Iranian authorities causing massive outages on WhatsApp and Instagram, it's harder than ever for people to spread their message, let alone organize their protests.
Protests in Iran are certainly taking place, as evidenced by the photos and videos circulating on international news outlets and social media, although it is difficult for Western news agencies to ascertain how widespread the protests may be.
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In short, we can say with some degree of certainty that internet access and mobile phone networks are being massively blocked in Iran thanks to the protests.
Shutting down the internet doesn't just hinder the organization of protests on the ground. It can hinder the ability of news agencies to reliably capture images from the country for the rest of the world to see.
Information source: gizmodo.com
