NetBlocks is a London-based internet monitoring organisation founded in 2015 that tracks real-time network disruptions, shutdowns, and censorship worldwide using active measurement and passive observation.

How did NetBlocks measure Iran's 2026 internet blackout?

NetBlocks used active network probes to measure connectivity across Iran, finding levels dropped to approximately 1% of normal during the January 2026 crackdown. It estimated the economic cost at $35.7 million per day.Source: NetBlocks

Was Iran's 2026 internet shutdown the worst on record?

NetBlocks and Georgia Tech IODA jointly assessed Iran's 2026 blackout, which lasted at least five days at 1% connectivity, as the most severe communications shutdown in Iran's recorded history.Source: NetBlocks / Georgia Tech IODA

Background

NetBlocks has logged Iran's 2026 internet shutdown as the longest sustained national internet restriction in its records. By Day 60 (28 April 2026), the blackout had reached an estimated 1,440 cumulative hours at 1-4% of normal connectivity — twelvefold longer than the previous NetBlocks record for Iran (the 2019 shutdown lasted five days). The shutdown has been used to time political executions, with Hengaw and Iran Human Rights documenting that executions are carried out during blackout windows when international scrutiny is lowest. NetBlocks data is the primary quantitative source for the duration and depth of Iran's wartime information blackout.

More questions

How does NetBlocks differ from Georgia Tech IODA for tracking shutdowns?

Both use independent network measurement infrastructure. NetBlocks focuses on real-time publication and media-ready outputs; Georgia Tech IODA is a research platform with deeper historical datasets. Both reached identical conclusions during Iran's 2026 blackout independently.Source: NetBlocks / Georgia Tech IODA

Which organisations cited NetBlocks during the Iran 2026 protests?

HRANA and Iran Human Rights both used NetBlocks connectivity data to contextualise their casualty counts, noting the blackout was a deliberate barrier to independent verification of deaths.Source: HRANA

How long has Iran's internet been shut down in 2026?

NetBlocks logged Iran's internet shutdown at 60 consecutive days by 28 April 2026, with an estimated 1,440 cumulative hours at 1-4% of normal connectivity. This is the longest sustained national internet restriction NetBlocks has recorded — twelvefold longer than Iran's 2019 shutdown.Source: NetBlocks

Why is Iran blocking the internet during the 2026 war?

Rights organisations document the blackout timing executions of political prisoners, with families notified after the fact to minimise protest windows. The blackout also prevents independent verification of civilian casualties and military movements.Source: Hengaw / NetBlocks

Source Material

Iran cuts internet access as protests erupt — Reuters Iran internet: One of the biggest shutdowns ever — BBC News Iran internet shutdown: How did they do it? — BBC News Iran internet: The country that shut down the internet NetBlocks Iran Disruption Reports Archive NetBlocks — Wikipedia NetBlocks — Official Website