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Iran’s regime has turned internet censorship into a tool for suppressing regime-change-seeking protests and a profitable business, according to Alireza Jafarzadeh, the deputy director of the Washington office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

Citizens in Iran face steep prices for limited internet access, with internet users having to purchase data packages twice a week due to strict restrictions. In addition, the average cost of a VPN, which is essential for bypassing these restrictions, is relatively high.

Despite the government’s intense filtering, around 70 million Iranians access social media daily, and approximately 48 million users rely on VPNs to evade the censorship. The irony is that the government also controls the VPN market, profiting from the very tools citizens use to bypass their censorship.

Iran ranks third globally in terms of internet disruption and limited access. This exploitation of internet access serves as a harsh reminder of how oppressive regimes can monetize the virtual world.

The regime’s key officials have referred to VPN providers as a “mafia.” Entities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Bonyad-e Mostazafan foundation, under the direct supervision of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, are involved in this business. The substantial profits they make are not funneled back into the national treasury.

The Iranian people face economic despair, high prices, and heavy oppression, all of which contribute to their identification of a common adversary: the ruling regime. This has fueled the Iranian people’s quest for regime change, with their ultimate goal being the overthrow of the religious dictatorship.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) is a democratic coalition of Iranian opposition organizations and personalities. Founded in 1981, the NCRI aims to provide an alternative to the clerical regime and advocates for a republic founded on universal suffrage, gender equality, separation of religion and state, and other democratic principles.

The NCRI envisions holding free and fair elections within six months to ensure a peaceful transition of power to the elected representatives of the Iranian people. The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), the largest opposition group in Iran, is a principal member of the NCRI.

These materials are being distributed by the National Council of Resistance of Iran-US Representative Office.

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