Internet Sales Tumble By Half In Iran By Government Disrupting Access

Almost half of the Internet service providers in Iran have seen a 50% drop in sales due to disruptions, censorship, and Internet shutdowns by the government during protests.

The computer trade union of Tehran -- or Tehran ICT Guild Organization -- announced Saturday that based on a survey conducted at 104 member companies, almost half of the ISP firms have faced a 50% drop.

The union's secretary Alireza Keshavarz Jamshidian went on to say that about half of the Internet providers lost over 500 million rials (around $1,400) a day, as sales dropped. However, he added, one-fifth of the companies say they suffered between $2,800 and $14,000 loss a day.

“We may not have complete internet outages these days, but restrictions are created through censorship. For example, WhatsApp and Instagram messengers are banned, inflicting damages on people who had a home business on these platforms,” stressed Keshavarz.

Since the beginning of the protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police, severe restrictions have been placed on the Internet for more than 50 days.

International internet monitoring groups, including NetBlocks, have repeatedly reported that the flow of data in different cities of the country has reached “a quarter” of its normal.

Regime officials restricted access to the internet to limit the free circulation of information and the posting of videos on social media platforms.

Earlier, the E-Commerce Association in Tehran announced the internet shutdown costs Iran $1.5 million per hour.