[69917] A wave of VPN service advertisements on Iranian Telegram amidst internet restrictions
[69917] A wave of VPN service advertisements on Iranian Telegram amidst internet restrictions
Many Telegram channels are reporting promotions and sales services for VPN services to users in Iran, promising unlimited traffic and technical support.
The spread of VPN services in the gray market on Telegram
On May 21, 2026, intense activity was recorded in various Telegram channels offering internet censorship circumvention services (VPN) to users in Iran. Channels with a general orientation, often dealing with foreign news and sports, such as کانال هواداران استقلال and اخبارفوری خبرفوری جنگ امریکا فوری, began marketing browsing packages at a price of "100,000 Tomans per gigabyte".
According to the report on the هواداران استقلال channel, the service is presented as a direct solution without intermediaries, eliminating the need for additional payments to bypass filters, with a promise of a "money-back guarantee in case of dissatisfaction". It should be noted that these channels are usually characterized by posting aggressive and sometimes populist news content, and are now incorporating market-targeted advertisements.
At the same time, a channel named یِ دانش آموز, which presents itself as having a more social character, published a detailed advertisement under the heading "As part of the aid to our compatriots". According to the report by this channel, the "Naran" team offers price tiers that vary according to the browsing volume: a price of 218 Tomans per gigabyte for small packages, and a decrease to a price of 188 Tomans per gigabyte for packages of over 25 gigabytes.
The publications emphasize 24/7 customer service and the use of connection technologies that promise "no user or time restrictions". It is evident that there is growing competition in the unofficial VPN market, as providers try to differentiate themselves through benefits such as "browsing volume bonuses" for heavy users.