• Iran has blocked access to Instagram and WhatsApp.
• Restrictions are part of strict new rules for using the internet in Iran.
• The protests began after the death of a woman who was arrested and beaten up for “unsuitable attire”.

On Thursday, Iran blocked access to Instagram and WhatsApp as part of strict new rules for using the internet. The hijab protest, which is now in its seventh day, began after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died last week. She had been arrested by Tehran’s controversial morality police for “unsuitable attire” (not wearing a hijab) and beaten up for not wearing a hijab.

“In accordance with a decision by officials, it has no longer been possible to access Instagram in Iran since yesterday (Wednesday) evening and access to WhatsApp is also disrupted,” the Fars news agency in Iran told AFP.

Instagram and Whatsapp are the most popular apps in Iran. Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, YouTube, and Tiktok are the next most popular.

Here are some of the restrictions on the internet in Iran:

⚠️ Confirmed: Real-time network data show a nation-scale loss of connectivity on MCI (First Mobile), #Iran's leading mobile operator, and Rightel; the incidents come amid widespread protests over the death of #MahsaAmini 📵

📰 Background: https://t.co/8cCHIJA2Oi pic.twitter.com/8FY4TIOJdI

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) September 21, 2022

Iran’s government already makes it very hard to use the internet, and only people with VPNs can see content on international websites that hasn’t been censored. Reports say that these connections have also slowed down as the protests have grown.

Hengaw, a Kurdish rights group, said that all internet access had been cut off in the Kurdistan province, where protests have been very strong, on Wednesday.

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