Internet Pro: Inside Iran’s Controversial New Two-Tiered Web System
Nonetheless, the measure has given rise to a new two-tiered system for accessing the internet, with some supporters receiving unfiltered access to international sites. The Iranian general population, meanwhile, remains relegated to a small subset of the internet. The system, called Internet Pro, has exorbitant prices that leave most Iranians out of its reach, relegating them to virtual private networks (VPNs) and other, more dangerous methods as alternatives. Starlink is also present, but there have been reports of a death tied to the arrest of a citizen due to its use. Nonetheless, not all agree with this outcome. Communications Minister Sattar Hashemi has expressed opposition to the Internet Pro system, declaring that “tiered internet or a ‘whitelist’ system has no validity,” and that Internet Pro has been misused. Hardliners, including Mohammad Amin Aghamiri, in charge of the governing cyberspace authority, support the policy. The costs of these internet disruptions rise to $250 million and approach $3 billion daily when accounting for disruptions affecting banks and companies, per Mahdi Ghodsi, an Iranian economist. Layoffs have also risen, with the blockade estimated to result in the loss of two million jobs, affecting nearly 8 million families and hitting Irans internal economic system heavily.