Iran weighs a China-style internet: tighter control, not a total blackout

Iran may be moving from episodic internet shutdowns toward a durable, China-style system of digital control that centralizes censorship, monitors communications, and isolates citizens from the outside world while keeping some commerce online. While officials cite imported Chinese equipment as a sign of a “permanent” shutdown, experts caution Iran lacks many domestic capabilities and may pursue an adaptive, centralized internet that tightens restrictions during sensitive moments and eases them for economic needs rather than a full, permanent disconnection.