Iran offline: How a government can turn off the internet

Summary

Podcast Summary: “Iran offline: How a government can turn off the internet”

Podcast: Short Wave (NPR)
Hosts: Emily Kwong
Guests: Amanda Meng (Social Scientist, Georgia Tech), Alberto Dinotti (Computer Scientist, Georgia Tech)
Date: January 26, 2026
Duration: ~15 minutes

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Overview:

This episode explores how the Iranian government is able to almost entirely “turn off” the national internet—the technical mechanisms, social impacts, and the global science community’s efforts to monitor these shutdowns. Host Emily Kwong speaks with researchers Amanda Meng and Alberto Dinotti from Georgia Tech’s IODA (Internet Outage Detection Analysis) project about what internet shutdowns in Iran reveal about network infrastructure, government tactics, and the human effects of forced digital isolation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights:

1. Detecting the Iranian Shutdown

• Real-time science in action: Amanda Meng describes receiving early reports of network interference in Iran as protests flared, prompting her research group to investigate using IODA’s internet measurement tools ([00:27-00:47]).
  • Quote: “And it actually took several days before we could see something abnormal in the data. And then on January 8, we all started to see our measurements just kind of start to fall off.” — Amanda Meng (00:47)
• Pattern: A near-complete internet blackout is observed, a tactic previously employed by the regime (01:08).

2. Why Governments Shut Down the Internet

• Government control: The Iranian regime shuts down internet access during public mobilizations to suppress dissent, disrupt communications, and force people off the streets ([01:12-01:34]).
  • Quote: “...might drive people back home out of the streets.” — Amanda Meng (01:27)
• Official Justification: Authorities claim shutdowns are for “national security” ([01:34-01:39]).

3. Details of the 2026 Shutdown

• Context: Protests sparked by political unrest, inflation, and currency collapse lead to a brutal crackdown (01:46).
• Human costs: Over 5,000 reported killed (unverified) since protests began.
• Digital blackout evolves: Initial total shutdown transitions to selective restoration (“whitelisted” access) ([02:23-02:33]).
  • Example: Google Search/Images allowed domestically, but email (Gmail) and external communication blocked.
• How some stay connected: A minority (~3%) use Starlink satellite internet at great personal risk ([03:04]), including the memorable quote from an Iranian protester:
  • Quote: “People don’t leave their house as much, as it feels as if, as the expression goes, they splashed death everywhere.” (02:53)

4. Internet Infrastructure: How It Works and How It’s Controlled

• What is the Internet?
  • Alberto Dinotti explains: The Internet is a “network of networks,” built to interconnect different types of computer networks—ISPs, university networks, telecoms ([05:32-05:57]).
  • Networks consist of endpoints (computers, phones) connected by routers, switches, and links (cables, Wi-Fi, satellites) ([06:01-06:59]).
• Shut down mechanics: The feasibility of a shutdown depends on centralization. Iran’s internet is highly centralized, giving the government leverage to control connectivity ([07:16-07:59]).

5. Measuring & Monitoring Internet Outages

• The IODA project:
  • Provides public, actionable data on global internet outages—where, when, and for how long ([08:13-08:49]).
• Three key signals used by IODA:
  1. Router Announcements: Networks advertise their reachability to the broader internet ([09:04]).
  2. Active Probing: Automated global pings to test internet accessibility.
  3. “Telescope Traffic”: Measurement of unsolicited background traffic, which serves as an indicator of ongoing connectivity (analogy to astronomy’s telescopes) ([09:04-09:52]).

6. Evolving Tactics by the Iranian Government

• 2019 vs. 2026:
  • 2019 (Bloody November): Crude, “blunt force” total shutdown, with little selectivity.
  • 2026: More sophisticated; use of whitelisting, selective access (especially for government and trusted journalists via “white SIMs”), and localized disruptions to reduce economic and political costs ([10:11-11:26]).
  • Quote: “They’ve become more sophisticated in how they're implementing their shutdowns so that they can keep online what they want to keep online.” — Amanda Meng (10:35)

7. Limits & Workarounds: The Satellite Internet “Race”

• Can satellite internet outpace government control?
  • Discussion on Starlink and similar systems. While satellite connections (e.g., Starlink) may bypass terrestrial controls, they can still be jammed or blocked ([11:26-12:15]).
  • Quote: “It’s really something that is evolving and under our noses, and we’re all trying to understand how things will keep evolving.” — Alberto Dinotti (11:59)

8. Broader Implications & Research Value

• Scientific goals: Learning when, where, and how internet failures occur helps not just with tracking government shutdowns but also with understanding the impact of natural disasters and technical glitches ([12:15-12:51]).
  • Quote: “To me, a big question is when, where, how the Internet fails. And we still don't have precise answers to that question.” — Alberto Dinotti (12:51)
• Centralized vs. Decentralized: Ukraine’s decentralized infrastructure provided greater resilience during conflict, demonstrating the political stakes of network design ([13:04-13:32]).
  • Quote: “We saw Ukraine be much more resilient because of how decentralized their Internet is.” — Amanda Meng (13:20)

9. Losses in an Internet Shutdown

• Human dimension:
  • Loss of connection to loved ones and safety information is the most immediate and traumatic impact ([13:47-14:34]).
  • Quote: “Trying to get a hold of your brother or your mother or your father. Where are you? Are you safe? I think that's really one of the number one first things that you lose.” — Amanda Meng (13:57)
  • Loss of navigation, banking, and resource access are also cited.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “And then on January 8, we all started to see our measurements just kind of start to fall off. So a near complete shutdown...”
  — Amanda Meng (00:47)

• “...might drive people back home out of the streets.”
  — Amanda Meng (01:27)

• “People don’t leave their house as much, as it feels as if, as the expression goes, they splashed death everywhere.”
  — Iranian protester (voicemail) (02:53)

• “It is a network of networks...designed to make completely different networks interoperable and interconnect them.”
  — Alberto Dinotti (05:32)

• “They’ve become more sophisticated in how they're implementing their shutdowns so that they can keep online what they want to keep online.”
  — Amanda Meng (10:35)

• “It’s really something that is evolving and under our noses, and we’re all trying to understand how things will keep evolving.”
  — Alberto Dinotti (11:59)

• “We saw Ukraine be much more resilient because of how decentralized their Internet is.”
  — Amanda Meng (13:20)

• “Trying to get a hold of your brother or your mother or your father. Where are you? Are you safe?...That's really one of the number one first things that you lose.”
  — Amanda Meng (13:57)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:17-01:08 — Initial signs of the Iranian internet shutdown.
• 01:08-02:37 — Tactics and motivations for Iranian government-imposed outages.
• 02:37-03:04 — A protester’s first-hand account, Starlink’s small role.
• 05:10-06:59 — How the internet and its infrastructure work.
• 07:16-07:59 — Centralization and shutdown feasibility.
• 08:13-09:52 — IODA tools for monitoring outages.
• 10:11-11:26 — Comparison of shutdown tactics, 2019 vs. 2026.
• 11:26-12:15 — The potential and limits of satellite internet.
• 12:15-13:32 — Value of research, centralized vs. decentralized networks.
• 13:47-14:34 — The human cost: isolation, lack of information, and lost services.

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Tone & Presentation

The episode maintains NPR’s characteristic blend of clear, accessible explanations with a conversational and human touch. Hosts and guests mix technical detail with real-world stakes, emphasizing the emotional and civic toll of digital blackouts. Science and technology insights are always grounded in their human context, making the episode relatable and urgent for listeners.

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For further information and continued updates, listeners are encouraged to check out the show notes and follow ongoing NPR coverage of Iran’s situation.

Transcript

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[Emily Kwong]

You're listening to Short Wave from npr. Amanda Meng was on vacation the day before New Year's Eve when the messages began.

[Amanda Meng]

I got a signal message. There had been some on the ground reports of network interference, and of course they wanted to know what we could see in our measurements.

[Emily Kwong]

Amanda is a part of a research project called iota, or Internet Outage Detection Analysis. Her research partners were telling her that something weird might be happening with the Internet in Iran.

[Amanda Meng]

And it actually took several days before we could see something abnormal in the data. And then on January 8, we all started to see our measurements just kind of start to fall off. So a near complete shutdown where Iranians were no longer connected to the global Internet.

[Emily Kwong]

This is not the first time the Iranian regime has shut down the Internet.

[Amanda Meng]

The regime, during times of mobilization, will shut down the Internet to try and suppress that mobilization as well as to control information. Also creating that chaos of not being able to connect with people, connect to emergency services, might drive people back home out of the streets.

[Emily Kwong]

And of course, the government has said it's shutting down the Internet for national security.

[Amanda Meng]

Yes, right. They always offer some sort of reason or motivation, and it often has to do with national security.

[Emily Kwong]

The current Internet shutdown came as a response to protests across Iran with crowds calling for political change amid rising inflation and a devastating drop in the value of Iran Iranian currency, the rial. Since protests began, more than 5,000 people have been killed, according to the US based Human Rights activist news agency. NPR hasn't independently verified that number, and observers and activists estimate the death toll may be much higher. Now when it comes to the Internet, initially it was a total digital blackout, but over time, some selective services have come back online. These are known as whitelisted services.

[Amanda Meng]

And so we are starting to see Google search Google images which are whitelisted applic accessible, but still only within the domestic Internet.

[Emily Kwong]

So emails cannot be sent outside of Iran. For instance.

[Amanda Meng]

Yeah, we're not seeing Gmail up at all.

[Emily Kwong]

Despite the near total Internet shutdown, some voices are getting through, like this protester who sent a voice memo to NPR's Arizu Rezvani.

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I can say now the city is in a trance like state. People don't leave their house as much as it feels as if, as the expression goes, they splashed death everywhere.

[Emily Kwong]

This man is among the 3% of Iranians who have managed to stay online through the satellite Internet system Starlink. But doing so is a crime. Today on the show Iran Offline, how computer networking happens, how a government can shut it down, and how scientists are monitoring that connectivity from afar. EMILY I'm Emily Kwong and you're listening to Short Wave, the science podcast from npr.

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[Emily Kwong]

Okay, so to talk more about the Internet and the Internet shutdown in Iran, I'm going to dig deeper with Amanda Meng, a social scientist at Georgia Tech, who you heard from earlier, and Alberto Dinotti, a computer scientist also at Georgia Tech who studies Internet infrastructure. And Alberto, let's start from a technical standpoint. What is the Internet?

[Alberto Dinotti]

So Internet stands for Internetwork. So it's a network of networks. So it was designed to make completely different networks interoperable and interconnect them. Some of these are the networks of our ISPs, Internet providers that allow us to connect to the Internet. Some are networks of big telecom operators. Some are networks of Universities like ours, for example.

[Emily Kwong]

I know this is extremely complicated, but what exactly is a network?

[Alberto Dinotti]

Okay, so we say that a network is a set of endpoints, like hosts and clients and servers that want to talk to each other.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Right.

[Emily Kwong]

Like a computer sends an email to another computer. Those are endpoints.

[Alberto Dinotti]

Yes, a cell phone, a laptop, and so on. And these endpoints, somehow they are connected to intermediate nodes, which we call routers and switches.

[Emily Kwong]

Ah, yes, right.

[Alberto Dinotti]

But you could even think about cell towers, for example, receive traffic from many endpoints, and then they route it around. But the way endpoints and routers are connected with each other is really through links, which can mean actual cables, like fiber cables, or the cable that reaches our home, or Ethernet cables. But it can be even WI fi links that are in the air, basically, like radio signal, cell phone signal, satellite signal. Those are links that interconnect these nodes.

[Emily Kwong]

It seems like magic, but it's all by design. But given that the Internet, just as you're describing it, the infrastructure seems seemingly everywhere. And then with the wireless component and satellites involved, how do you even shut down something like that?

[Alberto Dinotti]

It really depends the way connectivity and infrastructure is organized in varies country by country. And so the keyword here really is centralization, how much the connectivity infrastructure is centralized. So you might find some countries, mainly a big state telecom as a network operator, or a handful of operators. In other countries you will find dozens who are densely connected and can leverage many different entry and exit points of traffic in the country or from the country to the rest of the world.

[Emily Kwong]

And in Iran, is the Internet infrastructure fairly centralized?

[Alberto Dinotti]

It is, yes.

[Emily Kwong]

Okay.

[Alberto Dinotti]

And the government for years has worked also on making sure that they could have a certain degree of control on how the traffic flows and through which systems, which intermediate nodes, which links.

[Emily Kwong]

Yeah. And going back to you, Amanda, you and Alberto learned about the Internet outages through your work together on iota, this research project. Why is it important that something like IOTA exists? Yeah.

[Amanda Meng]

So iota, it provides a public service for people to look at Internet connectivity measurements anywhere in the world and see if their Internet is connected. What's down? Where is it down? How long has it been down? So it provides data that's. Hopefully people can get insights from. Hopefully it's actionable data on Internet connectivity globally.

[Emily Kwong]

Now, you measure Internet connectivity using three main signals. Can you describe each of those three signals and what they tell you about whether the Internet is flowing or not in a place starting with the first signal? Router announcements. What are those?

[Alberto Dinotti]

Yep. So Iranian networks announced the fact that they are reachable and will say, well, if you want to talk to these certain sets of IP addresses, just talk to me and I'll take care of delivering the traffic. That doesn't mean that the traffic will be delivered. The other one is also very simple, is active probing. We basically constantly ping networks all over the world. And the third one is basically a form of network traffic pollution that constantly exists on the Internet. And we learn to cleanse this noise and use it as a liveness signal that is coming from different countries, different regions and different network operators. So we call it telescope traffic because it's captured through a research infrastructure that by analogy with astronomy is being called network telescopes.

[Emily Kwong]

And to be clear, Iran has shut down the Internet before. Notably during protests in 2019, there were also mass casualties. This is known by some in Iran as Bloody November. Did iota's tools pick up on a drop in Internet connectivity back then? Is the government using any different tactics this time?

[Amanda Meng]

Yeah, in 2019, you do see routing announcements go down to say 60%. So they were using this blunt force tool to take away connectivity and they weren't able to do anything more sophisticated like whitelisting with the white sims or just providing access to certain people. And so they've become more sophisticated in how they're implementing their shutdowns so that they can keep online what they want to keep online.

[Emily Kwong]

What do you guess they're doing?

[Amanda Meng]

Well, I think they want to be able to communicate as government officials and I think they also want to control information. So I think certain journalists get white sims, so certain people who are trusted information sources are allowed to have connectivity also. I don't know that we're seeing this right now, but with the Women Life freedom Movement in 2022, they were just shutting down mobile connectivity. And that was to mitigate against the economic cost of these shutdowns. Because when you're taking everything down, the economy is going to be affected. So being able to be more precise with how you implement this and be more sophisticated, you're definitely increasing some of the costs that are in a way political costs as well.

[Emily Kwong]

With the innovation of satellite Internet, is there some Internet infrastructure that's just beyond the government's reach, that no matter what those in power want to do, the Internet will still find a way? Is this like a race between governments and Internet infrastructure?

[Alberto Dinotti]

That's a really tough question. I guess that's what we are trying to understand and study. The signal jamming that we were referring to earlier is an example of how.

[Emily Kwong]

The signal jamming of Starlink.

[Alberto Dinotti]

Yeah.

[Emily Kwong]

For example, Starlink, the satellites owned by SpaceX. Yeah, yeah.

[Alberto Dinotti]

It's an example of how even this type of connectivity can be within reach of governments. It's really something that is evolving and under our noses, and we're all trying to understand how things will keep evolving.

[Emily Kwong]

What is the value in this research for you both in really understanding Internet connectivity when it's shut down?

[Alberto Dinotti]

The Internet is relatively opaque, especially the Internet infrastructure. And so there is a scientific aspect in trying to understand Internet connectivity better and especially trying to understand when connectivity fails in general, not only when governments order shutdowns, but also when large fractions of population experience outages for other reasons.

[Emily Kwong]

Like power outages from, like, natural disasters and such. Yeah.

[Alberto Dinotti]

So to me, a big question is when, where, how the Internet fails. And we still don't have precise answers to that question.

[Emily Kwong]

Amanda, what about you?

[Amanda Meng]

I mean, there's certainly questions about sovereignty, like sovereignty of a state and how the Internet shows up in that. Ukraine was definitely coming to mind as Alberto was talking about centralized versus decentralized networks. And we saw Ukraine be much more resilient because of how decentralized their Internet is. Yeah, I mean, different contexts, but still that.

[Emily Kwong]

But that made a difference.

[Amanda Meng]

Yeah. And then I think, you know, this question of how to participate in civic life and how to be able to not just mobilize around a protest, but mobilize resources in general. The Internet is still playing a part.

[Emily Kwong]

In that, given the power of the Internet in modern life. Amanda, what do people lose when they don't have access to the Internet?

[Amanda Meng]

Yeah, I mean, I think the first thing is connection to loved ones. That's one of the first things we hear from our partners, is trying to get a hold of your brother or your mother or your father. Where are you? Are you safe? I think that's really one of the number one first things that you lose, and you lose the ability to use your. Whatever mapping app that you use to try and get to safety. You may lose access to your bank account. There's really so many things that you lose.

[Emily Kwong]

As for Iran, estimates for when the Internet will be fully restored range from days to weeks. If you want to learn more about what is happening in Iran, check out our show notes. We'll link to more NPR reporting and follow us to stay up to date on the latest science behind the headlines. I'm Emily Kwong. Thank you for listening to Short Wave from npr. See you tomorrow.

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