Iran’s Digital Surveillance Machine Is Almost Complete

[Narrator] In early 2026,

the Iranian government cut off the country

from the global internet as its forces killed thousands

of anti-regime protestors under a shroud

of digital darkness.

The shutdown, still partially ongoing, follows years

of online curfews, connectivity filtering,

and total digital blackouts imposed as part of attempts

to curtail unrest.

How is this possible?

Over the last 15 years,

Iranian authorities have developed technological

and systemic mechanisms to effectively control connectivity,

including an internal intranet known

as the National Information Network, or NIN.

The NIN seemingly could allow the government

to disconnect the country from the outside

while still keeping

internal state controlled networks running.

Digital rights researchers tell Wired

that the Iranian government can access virtually any data

on the NIN, including all communications.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps effectively has full

control over how information is processed and distributed.

This centralized system monitors daily life

for everyday Iranians by pulling in data from CCTV networks,

face recognition systems,

and other applications designed to capture

or log private messages.

Despite the NIN being developed as a core component

of the regime's mechanisms for control,

even the NIN itself was taken down

for a few days in the most recent shutdown.

This surprised analysts

who told wired it might reflect panic from the regime.

Even as connectivity has been partially restored,

researchers say

that the government may be moving toward completely

disconnecting the country from the global internet,

and as Iranians regain connectivity,

they face the difficult reality of being returned

to a surveillance state that's as intrusive

and comprehensive as it's ever been.