The cross : How can a State cut Internet access on its territory?
Francesca Musiani : The State itself cannot do much alone, it is the telecom operators and access providers (FAI) who, pressed by the authoritarian government, cut access. It is possible to “disconnect” the whole country, as was seen in 2019, or simply specific geographical areas. At the start of the demonstrations, regions such as Iranian Kurdistan, where Mahsa Amini was from, were thus cut off punctually.
The simplest solution is to cut off the mobile antennas. This essentially amounts to temporarily recreating a white zone. It is also possible to cut only part of the websites and keep others, for example government sites.
This is the very principle of parental control. We act at the level of the data packets that enter and leave the servers, for example on the DNS servers (which provide the connection between the IP address, which is the “real” address of a site, and the address in full typed by the Internet user, editor’s note) or even those of companies, to interrupt certain services and specific sites.
How is the Iranian situation different from what happened in Ukraine, for example?
F. M. : The situation in Iran is very unclear, regarding the extent of censorship nationwide and the applications affected. Above all, it is special, because the Internet was already severely limited there. Several sites and companies were already not present in the country, which explains the postponement of Internet users on a handful of available applications such as WhatsApp.
Cutting these applications has a direct impact on the organization of demonstrations and the dissemination of information. Since the Arab Spring, we have seen the importance of mobile Internet and social networks in protest movements, Iran is no exception.
Can alternatives, such as VPNs and satellite internet, restore connectivity?
F. M. : Yes, within a certain limit. A VPN network makes a possible censor believe that the user is elsewhere on the planet than where he really is, by displaying another Internet address. But using a VPN is not necessarily easy for everyone and, above all, some are paying. However, with the financial sanctions in place against Iran, it may not be possible to subscribe to them.
It’s the same problem with satellite internet. Even if the country, which was hitherto excluded from the system, becomes covered by Starlink satellites, the population does not have the terminals and antennas to use them. It is impossible to subscribe to Starlink in Iran, and it is impossible to send a terminal there by post. It would take a huge smuggling network to make this solution work.