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In Iran, internet access becomes a luxury for the few

Iran has introduced a paid 'Internet Pro' service granting limited internet access to select professional groups, while most of the population remains offline during one of the longest internet shutdowns in the country's history. The move raises concerns about inequality, economic damage, and tightened control of dissent, as reports on the duration and impact of the blackout vary.

By Tertius News AI Desk 2 outlets · 2 articles Version 1 Coverage May 7–20, 2026 Published Aug 13

Lead

As Iran's nationwide internet shutdown stretches into its third month, the government has begun rolling out a paid service called "Internet Pro" that grants approved users a way around the block—but only for a select few. The move marks a shift from blanket censorship to a tiered system of connectivity, raising concerns among analysts about deepening inequality and tighter state control over communication.

According to Deutsche Welle, Iran's National Security Council approved a plan to give certain groups paid internet access, albeit with daily usage limits on foreign websites and international data traffic. The service, as described by both Deutsche Welle and RFI, is not a technical upgrade but a paid subscription that offers standard internet connectivity bypassing the government-imposed block.

Coverage Comparison

Two outlets—Deutsche Welle and RFI English—have reported on the development, and while their core facts align, they differ in emphasis and some details. Deutsche Welle, focusing on the economic and civic impact, states that the shutdown began after US and Israeli attacks on February 28 and has lasted "more than 80 days," making it the longest in Iran's history. RFI, by contrast, references a shutdown of "more than 60 days" and describes it as "one of the longest" in the country's history, but attributes the root cause more broadly to the government's desire to control dissent, with the February attacks "compounding" existing restrictions.

Both sources agree on the fundamental mechanism of Internet Pro: it is a paid service offered to specific professional groups, including members of the Chamber of Commerce, startups, technology companies, and retailers, as reported by Deutsche Welle. RFI notes that the service comes in "several levels of priority," offering faster and more stable connections to those who qualify. However, neither outlet could confirm the number of users granted access, and the Iranian government has not disclosed that figure.

Key Claims

The key claims reported in the coverage include:

The nature of Internet Pro: Deutsche Welle and RFI both say the paid service allows users to bypass the nationwide block, but major platforms like Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube remain inaccessible even to Internet Pro users without additional VPN tools, according to journalist and internet researcher Solmaz Eikder, who spoke to Deutsche Welle.

Duration of the shutdown: Deutsche Welle says the blackout has lasted more than 80 days, making it the longest in Iran's history. RFI puts the duration at more than 60 days, describing it as one of the longest since Libya's near-six-month cutoff during the Arab Spring.

Economic impact: RFI cites monitoring group NetBlocks, estimating financial losses from the shutdown at $37 million per day. RFI also reports that around 10 million Iranians are directly or indirectly affected in terms of their income.

Eligibility for Internet Pro: Both sources report that the service is aimed at professionals and businesses, with Deutsche Welle listing specific groups: members of the Chamber of Commerce, startups, technology companies, and retailers. RFI adds that the service is part of a broader "whitelist" that already allows some regime figures and approved influencers to post on social media.

Official rationale: According to Deutsche Welle, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohadscherani said Internet Pro is intended to "prevent disruptions to economic activity and ensure business communication in times of crisis." RFI notes that Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi previously told Al Jazeera that the shutdown was a response to "terrorist operations" launched from abroad.

It is important to note that while the core details from both outlets are consistent, the discrepancy over the shutdown's exact duration—80 days versus 60 days—could not be independently verified from the available extracts. Similarly, the casualty figure for economic losses and the number of affected Iranians come from a single source (NetBlocks) and a single outlet (RFI), respectively, and have not been corroborated elsewhere.

Perspectives

Internet researcher Solmaz Eikder, speaking to Deutsche Welle, said that even with Internet Pro, users in Iran still cannot access major platforms like Instagram, X, and YouTube without using a VPN, highlighting the service's limitations. Her remarks suggest that the tiered access falls short of full connectivity, leaving even approved users reliant on circumvention tools.

Government statements, as reported by both outlets, frame the shutdown and the limited reopening as necessary measures to ensure national security and economic continuity. Officials have not denied the existence of the whitelist or the paid service, but they have not revealed how many people are eligible or how the system is enforced.

Observers, meanwhile, express concern that the country is moving toward a system where internet access becomes a privilege for the few, rather than a right for all. RFI noted that regime figures and approved influencers were still posting freely on social media while the broader population of 90 million was "effectively silenced," a characterization that underscores the stark divide between the connected elite and the offline majority.

Temporal context is also relevant: Iran has a history of internet shutdowns, with prior crackdowns during the Green Movement in 2009, the fuel price protests in 2019, and the demonstrations following Mahsa Amini's death in 2022. The current blackout, according to Deutsche Welle, follows the US-Israeli attacks and subsequent unrest, marking yet another chapter in the government's use of connectivity as a tool of control.

How each outlet told it

Deutsche Welle as of May 20, 2026, 2:46 PM UTC

Framing: Iran's internet shutdown and the introduction of Internet Pro — Critical of the Iranian government's actions

Facts Included:

Iran's National Security Council approved a plan to grant certain groups paid internet access
The internet in Iran has been shut down since the US and Israel launched attacks on February 28
The shutdown has lasted for more than 80 days
Internet Pro is a paid service that allows users standard internet access that bypasses the block
Major platforms like Instagram, X, and YouTube are still blocked in Iran
The plan is offered to certain professional groups, such as members of the Chamber of Commerce, startups, technology companies, and retailers

Read the source article →

RFI — English as of May 7, 2026, 4:31 PM UTC

Framing: Iran's unprecedented digital blackout — Critical of the Iranian government's actions

Facts Included:

Iran is giving privileged internet access to a small group of approved users
The current shutdown has lasted more than 60 days
The authorities have introduced a system known as 'Internet Pro'
NetBlocks estimates financial losses from the shutdown at $37 million per day
Around 10 million Iranians are directly or indirectly affected in terms of their income

Read the source article →

What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimIran's National Security Council approved a plan to grant certain groups paid internet access, albeit with a daily usage limit on foreign websites and international data traffic.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Deutsche Welle as of May 20, 2026, 2:46 PM UTC
ClaimThe internet in Iran has been shut down since the US and Israel launched attacks on February 28.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Deutsche Welle as of May 20, 2026, 2:46 PM UTC
ClaimThe shutdown has lasted for more than 80 days.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Deutsche Welle as of May 20, 2026, 2:46 PM UTC
ClaimInternet Pro is a paid service that allows users standard internet access that bypasses the block.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source quoted from Deutsche Welle as of May 20, 2026, 2:46 PM UTC the outlets behind this status were not recorded for this claim
ClaimMajor platforms like Instagram, X, and YouTube are still blocked in Iran.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Deutsche Welle as of May 20, 2026, 2:46 PM UTC
ClaimThe plan is offered to certain professional groups, such as members of the Chamber of Commerce, startups, technology companies, and retailers.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source quoted from Deutsche Welle as of May 20, 2026, 2:46 PM UTC the outlets behind this status were not recorded for this claim
ClaimNetBlocks estimates financial losses from the shutdown at $37 million per day.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via RFI — English as of May 7, 2026, 4:31 PM UTC
ClaimAround 10 million Iranians are directly or indirectly affected in terms of their income.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via RFI — English as of May 7, 2026, 4:31 PM UTC
ClaimIran is giving privileged internet access to a small group of approved users.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source quoted from RFI — English as of May 7, 2026, 4:31 PM UTC the outlets behind this status were not recorded for this claim
ClaimThe current shutdown has lasted more than 60 days.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via RFI — English as of May 7, 2026, 4:31 PM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

2 outlets · 2 articles consulted: Deutsche Welle, RFI — English 10 claims extracted Version 1 Written 2026-08-13