Podcast Summary: Iran's Information War: The Battle for Control of the Internet

The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim – Sky News
Date: January 31, 2026
Host: Yalda Hakim
Guest: Mahsa Ali Mardani, Associate Director of Technology Threats at Witness

Episode Overview

This episode explores how the Iranian regime has harnessed digital tools—especially the internet, AI, and disinformation—to control information and quell dissent. Yalda Hakim interviews Mahsa Ali Mardani, a leading expert on digital rights in Iran, to understand both the mechanics of recent internet shutdowns and the escalating sophistication of the state's information warfare. The discussion reveals a country at the crossroads of repression and resistance, with ordinary Iranians challenging an increasingly high-tech regime.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Shutoff: Internet as a Tool of Repression

• The episode begins in the aftermath of a partial restoration of internet access in Iran, following weeks of a state-mandated blackout after mass protests and government brutality (00:02).
• The Iranian government has regularly used internet blackouts as a tool of control, intensifying since 2019 to both suppress dissent and hide evidence of state violence (00:41).
• "The connection comes and goes, but is not stable. Of course, [the regime] has spent millions...to centralize the Internet system so they can control it." – Host (00:41)

2. Historical Evolution of Information Control in Iran

• Mahsa traces the regime's relationship with the internet from the 2009 Green Revolution, which shocked leaders into seeing technology as a threat to their authority (03:06).
• After 2009, Iran quickly consolidated digital control through institutions like the Supreme Council for Cyberspace, pivoting the internet into a matter of national security (03:56).
• Over time, the government shifted tactics: censoring specific apps (Telegram in 2017, WhatsApp and Instagram during Woman, Life, Freedom protests), implementing “mobile curfews”, and orchestrating regionalized or nationwide shutdowns (04:10–05:59).

3. Mechanics and Authority Behind Blackouts

• Decisions to shut down the internet are made within the Supreme National Security Council, a multi-ministry body dominated by hardline security officials, not civilian ministries (09:03).
• The 2024 blackout was triggered preemptively after anticipated protest calls from exiled figures and Kurdish parties, demonstrating the regime's readiness and evolving response (09:43).

4. 2019 vs. 2024 Shutdowns: Increasing Sophistication and Cost

• 2019 saw a week-long total blackout—"under which...1,500 protesters were massacred"—while the 2024 shutdown beat that record, lasting over two weeks and causing even broader disruption (04:10, 09:43).

5. Disinformation, AI, and the 12-Day War

• The Iranian regime’s use of AI and disinformation has reached new heights, especially during the 2025 "12-Day War" between Israel and Iran—Occurring just as powerful generative AI tools like Google’s V03 became accessible (11:37).
• Both sides engaged in an "information war"; regime-backed accounts even shared videos with visible V03 watermarks (11:37).
• Noteworthy case: A fake video (produced via AI) purporting to show an accurate Israeli bombing of Evin Prison went viral—amplified by mainstream media—helping devise favorable narratives for both sides (12:27).

6. Regime “Cyber Accounts” and Social Media Manipulation

• The Iranian state runs extensive troll operations, primarily on X/Twitter, employing dashboards populated with accounts mimicking every flavor of opposition—monarchists, MEK, leftists, reformists (13:43).
• Leaks reveal that organized campaigns have sown confusion, chaos, and even successfully impersonated credible opposition voices (ex: "Jupiter" account spreading fake news about a judge’s assassination, which was picked up by Western media before being debunked) (15:24–17:22).
• "Cyber accounts are regime trolls that pretend to be members of the opposition." – Mahsa Ali Mardani (13:43)

7. Deepfakes, AI “Slop” Narratives, and Authenticity Warfare

• Accusations of protest content being “AI slop” (i.e., fake AI-generated protest footage or audio) are weaponized by authorities seeking to undermine real evidence (19:08).
• Example: An authentic viral image ("Iranian Tank Man") was doubted because it was enhanced through AI-powered editing tools, fueling the regime’s claims of opposition fakery (19:08–21:36).
• "There’s generally a misunderstanding of how AI works...the regime can push this narrative forward." – Mahsa Ali Mardani (20:55)

8. Countermeasures: Verifying Truth in the AI Age

• Mahsa describes tools like Proof Mode and C2PE, tech initiatives embedding secure metadata to verify protest footage authenticity, which could aid courts and human rights monitors (21:43).
• Witness is collaborating with AI firms and camera manufacturers to develop enforceable global verification standards (21:43–23:10).

9. Human Rights Documentation and the Limits of Evidence

• The bigger challenge isn't fake content, but ensuring the documentation of real atrocities withstands scrutiny and denial by both states and their apologists (23:43).
• Mahsa’s team maintains an “AI forensics rapid response force” to assist groups like Human Rights Watch in authenticating alleged evidence of crimes—a highly technical and resource-intensive process (24:11).

10. Connectivity Solutions (Starlink & Beyond)

• Starlink proved crucial at points, but widespread state control means alternatives must be scaled to guarantee protesters uninhibited digital access (25:20).
• Reliable, regime-independent connectivity remains a strategic necessity—not just for protesters, but for the provision of aid and for documenting abuses (25:50).
• "We cannot be relying on infrastructure that a country can control." – Mahsa Ali Mardani (26:32)

11. Blackouts: Economic and Human Consequences

• Internet shutdowns inflict huge economic damage—billions lost, businesses halted, and economic grievances fuelling further unrest (27:55).
• "Imagine if they had invested this money in building a better Iran instead of investing in repression." – Mahsa Ali Mardani (28:38)

12. Hope for the Future

• Despite technological repression, Mahsa expresses optimism about Iranian society’s resilience and determination—although emphasizes their ongoing need for outside support and innovative technology to continue telling their stories (30:13).
• "I have a lot of hope and belief in the Iranian people. I have zero hope in the regime, obviously." – Mahsa Ali Mardani (30:13)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "We witnessed everything. Horrifying stories are emerging, especially from hospitals, from mortuaries, from cemeteries where body bags, thousands of body bags have been emerging." – Host (00:41)
• "It wasn’t the first time we had an internet shutdown. It was the first time we had such a prolonged internet shutdown." – Mahsa Ali Mardani (04:10)
• "Cyber accounts are regime trolls that pretend to be members of the opposition." – Mahsa Ali Mardani (13:43)
• "The regime can push this narrative forward because there's generally a misunderstanding of how AI works." – Mahsa Ali Mardani (20:55)
• "We cannot be relying on infrastructure that a country can control for our communication, for our ability to get humanitarian aid." – Mahsa Ali Mardani (26:32)
• "Imagine if they had invested this money in building a better Iran instead of investing in repression." – Mahsa Ali Mardani (28:38)
• "I have a lot of hope and belief in the Iranian people. I have zero hope in the regime." – Mahsa Ali Mardani (30:13)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:02–00:41: Internet blackout aftermath, brutality revealed
• 03:06–05:59: Evolution of information controls since 2009
• 09:03–09:43: State decision-making and mechanisms behind shutdowns
• 11:37–13:24: AI and information war during the 12-Day War with Israel
• 13:43–17:22: Troll farms, cyber accounts, and case studies in social media manipulation
• 19:08–21:36: Weaponization of AI accusations and authenticity warfare
• 21:43–23:10: Technological countermeasures – Proof Mode and authentication standards
• 24:11–25:20: AI forensics and human rights documentation
• 25:50–27:55: The importance and challenges of alternate connectivity (e.g., Starlink)
• 27:55–29:46: Economic impact of shutdowns, digital repression, and hope for change
• 30:13–30:44: Closing thoughts on resilience, and looking forward

Conclusion

This episode offers a sobering look into the Iranian regime’s escalating digital repression, but also highlights the creative resistance of protesters and the unsung work of experts struggling to preserve evidence and truth. Mahsa Ali Mardani’s insights illuminate a constantly shifting battlefield—one where technology is both a weapon of oppression and a beacon of hope.