Iran's internet is returning - but not for everyone

Nearly three weeks into one of the most extreme internet shutdowns in history, some of Iran's 92 million citizens are beginning to get back online - but access appears to be tightly controlled.

The country cut off internet access on 8 January, in what is widely seen as an attempt to stem the flow of information about a government crackdown on protesters.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the internet was blocked in response to what he described as "terrorist operations".

Now there is evidence that some internet access has returned - but independent analysis indicates much of the country is still effectively cut off from the outside world.

Iran's reformist Shargh newspaper has reported that some officials had claimed mobile internet had been restored.

However, it said many users still do not have full access and can only connect intermittently and for very limited periods, often after repeated attempts.

Firms which monitor web traffic say there are signs of the internet being used inconsistently, raising questions about who is able to connect, and under what conditions.

"What we're seeing isn't a return to normal," said Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at network intelligence firm Kentik.

"Major platforms are being allowed and blocked at different times during the day."

Independent internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported similar findings.

Madory said the pattern could instead indicate authorities are testing a new system to block web traffic, with changes being made in real-time.

Amir Rashidi, director of cyber security at the Miaan Group said this points to only a certain number of people, who have been approved by the government, being the only ones with access.

Human rights organisations say this control over internet access has played a big role in limiting information about the crackdown on protesters.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said as of 26 January it had confirmed the deaths of 5,925 protesters. It warned the final toll could be several times higher, with a further 17,091 reported deaths currently being reviewed.

Internet rights observers say the unrest may have given the authorities an opportunity to accelerate long-planned efforts to tighten control over the internet - measures which would likely have faced far stronger resistance under normal circumstances.

According to sources cited by Shargh, internet access in Iran has effectively been divided into multiple levels - ranging from a complete shutdown to normal access - with current connectivity still far from a full restoration.

According to sources cited by the newspaper, foreign messaging apps, including WhatsApp, will remain restricted. There are some local communication platforms accessible inside the country, although observers have raised security and privacy concerns about their use.

However, in recent days some users have reported being able to connect intermittently to the outside world, using services such as Google Meet, Telegram, Facebook Messenger or FaceTime to contact family members.

Rashidi said this may be because selectively granting access to certain parts of the internet can have the side effect of letting tools such as a virtual private network (VPN) function - even if briefly.

VPNs are ways to securely connect devices online, which can be used to view content blocked because of your location.

"As long as there is any ability to transmit even a single bit of data, it is possible to find ways to use VPNs," Rashidi said.

But he said the evidence so far suggests the authorities are determined to prevent VPNs from operating and to keep control over who can connect.

After nearly three weeks of internet disruption, Iran's Minister of Communications Sattar Hashemi said on 26 January the daily losses caused by the shutdown amount to nearly five trillion tomans ($35m; £25m).

Amid mounting economic pressure, authorities appear to have introduced tightly controlled forms of internet access for some businesses, which analysts say may be part of a plan to manage connectivity more selectively.

Business figures told the BBC in some cities, members of the Chamber of Commerce are granted just 20 to 30 minutes of unfiltered internet access per day.

Even then, they claim this is only under supervision and after completing multiple stages of identity verification.

One member of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the access was "fully rationed and strictly time-limited".

They added if work was not completed within the allotted time, the entire verification process had to be repeated.

The same source said some businesspeople had also been required to sign commitments not to send files related to the protests.

They called the system "effectively paralysing and humiliating" given the number of people involved, and said it had generated widespread dissatisfaction among traders.

Internet freedom observers at FilterWatch have previously warned the authorities are rapidly putting in place new systems and rules aimed at cutting Iran off from the international internet.

And Madory said, looking at web traffic data, the patterns suggest a full restoration of internet access in Iran may never occur.