{"id":27441,"date":"2026-05-01T09:04:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T09:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/27441\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T09:04:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T09:04:09","slug":"ottawa-on-defensive-after-iran-football-chief-linked-to-irgc-entered-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/27441\/","title":{"rendered":"Ottawa on defensive after Iran football chief linked to IRGC entered Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dozens of citizens described the rollout of tiered internet, branded as \u201cInternet Pro,\u201d as part of a system of inequality emerging during months of widespread connectivity restrictions.<\/p>\n

Internet access was first cut on January 8 alongside calls for nationwide protests and remained fully restricted until January 28. About a month later, during US and Israeli strikes on Iran, authorities imposed another shutdown that has now lasted more than 60 days.<\/p>\n

Monitoring group NetBlocks has described the ongoing disruption as one of the longest state-imposed internet blackouts recorded globally, leaving tens of millions of people largely cut off from international connectivity.<\/p>\n

\"TwoTwo months offline: Iran blackout drives losses, access splits<\/a><\/p>\n

Material circulating among users outlines a four-level structure of access, with so-called \u201cwhite SIM cards\u201d at the top offering largely unrestricted global internet, although their pricing has not been disclosed. <\/p>\n

A second tier provides paid \u201cInternet Pro\u201d access with partial connectivity but continued filtering and daily limits, with operators formally setting prices at around 400,000 rials per gigabyte (about $0.22) and packages such as 50 gigabytes annually priced near 25 million rials (about $14).<\/p>\n

\"An\"An<\/p>\n

100%<\/p>\n

An Iranian woman walk in a street in Tehran, Iran December, 2024. <\/p>\n

Below that, users rely on VPN services for broader access, often at significantly higher cost \u2013 figures shared by users point to similar data volumes reaching about 70 million rials (around $39) \u2013 while the majority remain limited to a restricted domestic network, where access to local services is priced far lower, including packages around 3 million rials (about $1.70).<\/p>\n

Average income in Iran is around $150 to $200 per month, while the minimum wage is typically below $100.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Iran, for more than two months the government has cut off people\u2019s internet and now it has launched a fully legal form of internet rent-seeking,\u201d one citizen said. \u201cThey sell limited annual access to businesses and casually turn the internet into a class-based system. This is an obvious injustice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Citizens link plan to wider corruption<\/p>\n

Several citizens described the initiative as an extension of long-standing financial networks tied to filtering and circumvention tools. They argued that the same actors who benefited from selling virtual private networks are now promoting the new service.<\/p>\n

One person said individuals previously involved in selling VPN access during periods of heavy restrictions have begun advertising Internet Pro packages.<\/p>\n

\"Iran'sIran’s digital economy battered by prolonged blackout<\/a><\/p>\n

Others framed the policy as a revenue stream. Some said authorities appear to be offsetting economic pressure through monetizing access to global connectivity.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the shutdown is truly about national security as you say, then what is this Internet Pro?\u201d another citizen asked. \u201cIs it another way to take money from people?\u201d<\/p>\n

Past reporting has pointed to a lucrative market around filtered internet access. In one instance, a member of parliament said the annual turnover of the VPN market reached tens of millions of dollars.<\/p>\n

Businesses struggle despite limited access<\/p>\n

Many messages said selective access has done little to ease the broader economic damage, with users saying that businesses cannot operate when customers remain offline, even if sellers regain limited connectivity.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany businesses have shut down and people\u2019s lives have been disrupted,\u201d one citizen wrote, describing internet access as a necessity rather than a privilege.<\/p>\n

\"InternetInternet Pro or Censor Pro? Iran rolls out a new service<\/a><\/p>\n

Another person questioned official reasoning that the policy aims to support commerce. \u201cIf a seller has internet but the buyer does not, what is the point?\u201d the message read.<\/p>\n

An online shop owner said the plan fails to help businesses dependent on social media platforms. \u201cEven the Internet Pro they talk about is useless for us,\u201d the person said. \u201cWe need customers online. If ordinary people cannot connect, our access means nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"An\"An<\/p>\n

100%<\/p>\n

An Iranian man, looks at his mobile phone, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 15, 2026. <\/p>\n

Students and professionals also described setbacks. A graduate student said research had stalled due to lack of access, while instructors continued to use less restricted connections without objection.<\/p>\n

Others pointed to broader social effects, including disruption to education and rising psychological strain linked to isolation from global communication networks.<\/p>\n

Media groups warn of wider impact<\/p>\n

The Tehran Province Journalists\u2019 Association criticized the internet shutdown and access controls in a Thursday statement, saying free internet \u201cis the right of all and must not be sold under any name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRepeated internet shutdowns, beyond causing serious harm to businesses and essential communications, have a destructive impact on media work and the economic condition of media outlets,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

The association said offering higher-quality access to select users creates additional social problems, adding that \u201cgranting a public right to specific buyers at a higher price is against citizens\u2019 legal rights and is unethical and must be removed from the government\u2019s agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n

It called on authorities to provide equal and fair access to all journalists and media organizations, emphasizing that free and transparent flow of information is central to media activity.<\/p>\n

\u201cAccess to free, high-quality and universal internet is not a luxury but a public right, and governments are responsible for ensuring it,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

Separately, the newspaper Etemad highlighted the human impact of the shutdown, reporting that restrictions have not only damaged online businesses but also affected people\u2019s mental well-being.<\/p>\n

\"People\"People<\/p>\n

100%<\/p>\n

People walk in Tehran Bazaar, amid a ceasefire between US and Iran, in Tehran, Iran, April 21, 2026. <\/p>\n

The report noted that platforms such as Instagram and Telegram had become part of daily life for many Iranians, and their sudden disruption has created a sense of disconnection.<\/p>\n

It added that users had only recently begun integrating tools such as ChatGPT into everyday use, but are now cut off from such global services, with younger generations facing particular strain on their digital identity and mental health.<\/p>\n

Calls grow to reject privileged access<\/p>\n

A recurring theme in the messages was refusal to participate in the system. Many citizens described accepting privileged access as complicity in unequal policies.<\/p>\n

A dentist in Tehran said he had declined multiple invitations to receive Internet Pro access. \u201cInternet is the right of all people,\u201d he said, urging colleagues not to accept what he called rent-based access.<\/p>\n

\"A\"A<\/p>\n

100%<\/p>\n

A young man looks at his mobile passes by a retail shop with a picture of Iran’s slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei on display, Tehran, Feb. 12, 2026<\/p>\n

Another citizen described support for the plan as a \u201cbetrayal to all Iranians\u201d and encouraged collective refusal.<\/p>\n

Some messages praised professional bodies that have rejected the offer. Iran\u2019s nursing organization said on April 26 it would not seek special access for its members while the broader public remains restricted. <\/p>\n

Similar positions were taken by associations representing graphic designers, nurses and lawyers, who described the policy as inconsistent with principles of equality.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese decisions show that resistance is possible,\u201d one citizen wrote, calling for wider adoption of similar stances.<\/p>\n

\"IranIran nurses reject special internet access amid blackout<\/a><\/p>\n

Wider context of prolonged shutdown<\/p>\n

Under current conditions, most citizens rely on costly and often insecure VPN services to access blocked platforms. Internet Pro offers limited alternatives but still includes filtering and usage caps.<\/p>\n

Across dozens of accounts, citizens framed access to the internet not as a service to be rationed, but as a shared right \u2013 one they say should not depend on status, profession, or ability to pay.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dozens of citizens described the rollout of tiered internet, branded as \u201cInternet Pro,\u201d as part of a system…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":27442,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[17,200,11046,11042,11039,11040,11043,11037,11041,11038,11044,587,11045],"class_list":{"0":"post-27441","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-canada","8":"tag-canada","9":"tag-iran","10":"tag-iran-and-china","11":"tag-iran-covid","12":"tag-iran-economy","13":"tag-iran-government","14":"tag-iran-media-iran-and-the-united-states","15":"tag-iran-news","16":"tag-iran-nuclear","17":"tag-iran-politics","18":"tag-iran-us","19":"tag-middle-east","20":"tag-us-sanctions"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27441"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27441\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}