Iran has introduced a caste-based internet system with three tiers of access at exorbitant prices
In Iran, following an 82-day total digital blackout, a tiered internet access system has been introduced, effectively dividing society into “castes.”
This is reported by Euronews.
Under the new model, officials and those close to the government enjoy unrestricted internet access, while ordinary citizens are forced to seek access through paid VPN services that cost significantly more than official rates.
At the highest level of the system is the so-called “white internet,” which provides full access to the network without filters or restrictions.
This access is used by high-ranking officials and journalists loyal to the government, who have been granted it since 2018. Some of them, according to the users themselves, did not even notice the large-scale internet blackouts during protests in previous years.
At the same time, part of the media community rejects this privilege, calling it discriminatory.
“Free access to the internet is a public right. You cannot grant this privilege to some and deny it to others. This is outright discrimination,” said former editor Mansur Beytav.
The second tier of the system, called Internet Pro, provides partial paid access to the network with a limited list of approximately 10 international platforms.
It is available to companies, lawyers, and doctors, though even for them, significant restrictions remain.
The third tier is intended for professionals but has even stricter limits: educators have access primarily to academic databases, while medical professionals are mostly restricted to basic services, such as messaging apps.
At the same time, popular platforms such as Instagram and YouTube remain unstable or virtually inaccessible even in professional packages.
Internet Pro users pay about 0.20 euros per gigabyte, while ordinary citizens are forced to purchase commercial VPNs, which cost about 12 times as much.
One entrepreneur told Euronews that he spends about 75 euros a month just on internet, while receiving limited data—about 1 gigabyte per day.
“In what country does internet access cost this much? Is it worth depriving the Iranian people of the internet just because there is a war?” he asked.
It is estimated that Iran lost about $1 billion in the first 50 days of the digital restrictions, with daily losses reaching up to $35 million.
Small businesses on Instagram and Telegram, which lack access to “professional” internet, have been hit the hardest.
Large platforms and e-commerce services have also felt the impact—in particular, the company Digikala has already begun laying off staff due to falling revenues.
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Tehran does not trust the United States and is ready to negotiate with Washington only if the talks are genuinely serious.
Due to the war in Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Qatar has faced serious problems exporting liquefied natural gas. The country has effectively lost the ability to fully supply its main energy resource to foreign markets. The International Monetary Fund forecasts an 8.6% contraction in Qatar’s economy.
