Iran’s Leaders Shut Down The Internet As Fuel Protests Spread To 100 Cities

Iran is now in the “midst of a near-total national internet shutdown,” according to NetBlocks, an international non-profit that monitors cybersecurity and cyber-threats worldwide, including threats that come from powerful governments.

The dropoff in connectivity began Saturday night, as Iran’s government cracked down on political unrest stemming from fuel shortages — unrest that has now spread to more than 100 cities across the country. NetBlocks tweeted a visual representation of how swiftly Iranian leaders were able to “shut off” any connection to the larger web, ostensibly to curtail protesters’ ability to organize over social media, text message, and email.