"Not just censorship, it’s digital isolation:" Iran plans to cut ties with the global internet — and VPNs may not help this time

A women with the flag of Iran drawn on her face takes part the "Woman, Life, Freedom" demonstration organized by Partito Radicale (Radical party) against the Iranian regime crimes and the war in Ukraine on December 10, 2022 in Rome, Italy. .

Twenty days: that's how long Iran has been disconnected from the global internet in what experts describe as "one of the most severe blackouts in history."

Authorities imposed a near-total communication blackout on January 8 in response to mass anti-government protests, cutting off fixed-line internet, mobile data, and international voice calls.