Large protests in December 2025 and January 2026 triggered one of Iran’s longest internet shutdowns. NetBlocks confirmed a near-complete collapse of connectivity after authorities imposed a total shutdown on January 8, with limited access beginning to return from January 23 and many services still restricted by February 23.
Analysts say the shutdown and continued limits reflect a shift to a white-listed censorship model: the global internet is blocked by default and only approved resources are available. Meta’s WhatsApp has faced restrictions and most users now rely on virtual private networks (VPNs). Amir Rashidi of Miaan Group wrote: “As you can see, we are still not fully connected to the internet, and the limited inbound and outbound traffic is entirely the result of infrastructure-level whitelisting.”
Foreign Policy reported on January 14 that Russia helped Iran deploy strategically managed connectivity built around deep packet inspection (DPI), and that Russia began introducing DPI inspection packages at the start of 2020. Protei, a company with a head office in Jordan and roots in St.Petersburg, is named as a supporter. Company documentation and a PDF describe the platform: “The PROTEI DPI system provides extensive capabilities that can be used to implement network-level censorship and traffic control.” The platform can identify services and selectively block, throttle, or prioritize them, and support URL and domain blacklisting and whitelisting.
Investigations and corporate links have raised further questions. Canada’s Citizen Lab found in 2023 that Protei helped build a mobile surveillance system and leaked Iranian emails showed Protei was selected to provide core network components to Ariantel. Kommersant reported that in 2024 Rostelecom entered a joint venture with Protei. STC Protei owners and 2022 financial figures are publicly listed: Anton Pinchuk 28.56 percent; Yuri Kolobkov and Vladimir Freinkman 18.57 percent each; Maxim Maslov and CEO Nina Apostolova 17.15 percent each; revenue RUB 2.88 billion (USD 43 million); net profit RUB 398 million (USD 5.9 million). Protei still operates branches in Estonia and Jordan and lists clients including MTN Irancell, Ariantel and several regional telecom operators. It is not yet clear whether further investigations will change how these systems are supplied or used.
Difficult words
- shutdown — Complete or partial stop of internet services.shutdowns
- whitelist — Allow only approved sites or services to connect.white-listed, whitelisting
- censorship — Control or suppression of information and communication.
- deep packet inspection — Method of inspecting internet traffic at packet level.
- infrastructure — Basic physical and technical network systems.infrastructure-level
- surveillance — Close monitoring of people or communications.
- throttle — Intentionally slow down data or connection speed.
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How might a white-listed internet change everyday access to news and social media? Give examples.
- What risks can arise when foreign companies supply technologies used for network control or surveillance?
- Should investigations into corporate links affect how governments or companies buy network systems? Why or why not?
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