How Open Is the Internet?
(Using Iran as an Example)
This page brings together independent tools that make connectivity disruptions, censorship, and internet shutdowns visible. No single service sees everything, but together they provide a more reliable picture.
1 OONI Explorer - Censorship & Blocking
Measures which websites, apps, and services are blocked or manipulated directly from networks inside Iran.
OONI runs tests from real networks. This can reveal signs of DNS manipulation, IP blocking, HTTP block pages, and blocks affecting messenger services or VPN providers.
Especially useful for: Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal, Instagram, YouTube, VPNs, and news websites.
Open OONI Explorer ↗OONI Explorer - Iran
2 Cloudflare Radar - Traffic & Outages
Shows changes in internet traffic, outages, and anomalies in global web and DNS traffic.
A sudden drop in Iran may indicate a shutdown, routing problems, power outages, or other technical disruptions.
Especially useful for: visible traffic drops, DNS problems, IPv4/IPv6 reachability, and anomalies.
Open Cloudflare Radar ↗Cloudflare Radar - Iran (sample view)
3 IODA - Connectivity & Routing
Detects large-scale connectivity losses down to provider or regional level.
IODA combines active measurements, BGP routing data, and additional signals to distinguish real network outages from other issues.
Especially useful for: regional shutdowns, provider problems, mobile network outages, and fixed-line outages.
Open IODA Dashboard ↗IODA - Iran
4 NetBlocks - Early Warning
One of the fastest systems for detecting unusual connectivity losses and platform disruptions.
NetBlocks is useful as an initial alert. Its reports should then be compared with additional technical sources and reports from inside Iran.
Especially useful for: quick indications of nationwide or regional shutdowns.
Open NetBlocks ↗NetBlocks - Website
5 Internet Society Pulse - Shutdowns
Documents internet shutdowns and places them in historical and societal context.
Pulse combines technical measurement data with information on duration, scope, affected regions, and political context.
Especially useful for: historical data, duration, and context for confirmed shutdowns.
Open Internet Society Pulse ↗Internet Society Pulse (sample view)
Internet Shutdowns
Documented internet outages and disruptions worldwide
Iran
| Start | End | Duration | Region | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 16 | Nov. 19 | 4 days | Iran | Social / Messaging |
Illustrative preview. Please open the direct link for current data.
How we interpret the data
Each individual tool only shows a specific slice of the situation. We therefore compare independent sources and, where possible, reports from people and organizations on the ground.
We consider an event reliably assessed when:
- at least two technical sources point in the same direction,
- routing data also supports the anomaly,
- local reports or media coverage provide context.
How a reliable assessment emerges