Iran trials a gated two-tier internet that locks millions off the global web
Iran is testing a so-called Barracks Internet that would grant global web access only to security-vetted elites, leaving roughly 85–90 million citizens on a restricted intranet. Officials say international access may not return for months or permanently, signaling a shift from temporary blackouts to a permanent, controlled connectivity regime. The plan could impose severe economic costs—tens of millions daily—and has prompted leadership shakeups, foreign telecom exits, and warnings from digital-rights researchers that Iranians’ voices and livelihoods could be compromised, even as satellite-based evasion like Starlink continues to operate.