Iran's Internet Shutdown: A Devastating Blow to Businesses

0:00It's May 1, global news today starts now, AI-powered and worldwide. I'm Cory with the story. Iran's internet has been mostly down for four months now, hitting 90 million people hard and wiping out a bunch of online businesses in an economy, already on its knees. It kicked off in January with anti-government protests, then when full blackout on February 28th, when war with the U.S. and Israel ramped up. All outfits and fashion, fitness, ads and retail relied on spots like Instagram to dodge sanctions and make sales. But now, that's all gone. Before this, folks use cheap VPNs to get around filters, keeping the digital hustle alive despite years of economic pain. Now workarounds cost a fortune on the black market, and the government's national network is slow, buggy, and sensor tight. They've got homegrown apps mimicking WhatsApp and YouTube, but nobody trusts or wants them. Business owners are feeling crushed, with zero sales and plans shattered, leaving them

1:01just scraping by day to day. Fitness coaches and models can't run online classes or gigs anymore. Advertisers see sponsors vanish and even gamers with big followings have lost. They're donor cash. It's a psychological gut punch on top of mass layoffs from strikes and blockades. The rulers call it a war must, but pressure's building with some limited global access for elites, media, and select businesses, sparking backlash from. Trade groups who say it's wrecking the whole infrastructure. Remote jobs are toast, pushing educated folks into streetbending hats, umbrellas, and trinkets along Tehran sidewalks. This shutdown's layering fresh misery on sanctions and war scars, fueling more immigration dreams and protest vibes as Iran's leaders dig in without a quick fix in sight.