[46389] Rise in demand for internet censorship circumvention solutions in Iran
[46389] Rise in demand for internet censorship circumvention solutions in Iran
Reports on social networks point to an active market for VPN and secure communication services in Iran, offering bypasses of internet restrictions for various uses.
Rise in demand for internet censorship circumvention solutions in Iran
During the past few days, there has been brisk activity in various Telegram channels dealing with communication technologies in Iran. According to reports on the PlusNet channel, there is an increase in demand for "Tunnel Config" solutions that guarantee a stable connection without blocks, while promising high speeds that allow for "online gaming, trading on crypto exchanges, and video calls."
The advertised services, available for sale at a cost of 250,000 tomans per gigabyte, are marketed with the promise that using them makes the user feel as if "the internet is not a national internet" according to PlusNet. The term "national internet" refers to the supervision and restriction policy of the network in Iran, with these services positioning themselves as a technological alternative that allows for bypassing these barriers.
In addition to PlusNet, channels such as Akhbar-e Fouri Khabar-e Fouri Jang-e Amrika Fouri and ATOM NET ¦ VPN also reported the availability of similar tools, and have gained cumulative exposure of over 35,000 views among their followers. These channels, often identified with current events content, serve as a marketing platform for VPN services, which indicates the growing demand for these tools among the Iranian public in order to maintain access to the global internet.