LONDON: Iran has imposed the tightest Internet restrictions in the world during the first six months of 2023, a recent study shows.
Figures released on Tuesday by cybersecurity company Surfshark showed that Iran has outpaced other countries in tightening Internet restrictions, introducing 14 new restrictions.
Following closely behind is India, which imposed nine new restrictions, while Pakistan implemented three.
The continuing protests in Iran, which erupted in Sept. 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini and the Zahedan massacre, have been found to be the main reason for the surge in censorship.
Surfshark spokesperson, Gabriele Racaityte-Krasauske, expressed deep concern over the increase in online controls, namely in the aftermath of Mahsa Amini’s death and the Zahedan massacre, Al-Monitor reported.
On Sept. 16, 2022, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman, died while in the custody of Iran’s morality police. She had been arrested and beaten for not wearing a headscarf as required by the government, and her death ignited country-wide protests.
The Zahedan massacre happened later that month. It involved a series of brutal police crackdowns on protesters in Iran’s southeastern city of Zahedan, home to the ethnic Balouch community, killing at least 96 demonstrators and wounding 300 others.
To hinder activists’ communication, Iranian authorities imposed more Internet blackouts.
Surfshark’s report revealed that there were 42 new Internet disruptions globally during the first half of 2023, in addition to 40 cases that were already present before Jan. 2023.
