Internet censorship in Iran

Iran is known for having one of the world's most restrictive internet censorship systems. including many popular websites and online services such as YouTube, Bitly, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Telegram. Internet traffic in the country is heavily restricted and monitored. The Internet Filtering Committee (Iran) headed by Prosecutor-General of Iran decides which websites must be censored and implements this vast censorship. Internet censorship legislation is conducted by Supreme Council of Cyberspace (Iran).

In response to the 2019 Iranian protests, the government implemented a total Internet shutdown, reducing traffic to just 5% of normal levels. A 2022 poll ranked Iran as the country with the sixth-highest level of Internet censorship after it repeatedly disrupted Internet access and blocked social media platforms to curb protests following the death of Mahsa Amini. The government is now targeting Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in an effort to completely block citizens' access to foreign media and online content.

It is estimated that more than 5 million websites are filtered in Iran. This country is considered one of the most restricted in the world in terms of internet access.

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