Anonymous Helps Iran Protesters Evade Internet Curbs Amid Social Blackouts

Activist hacker group Anonymous has offered a way for Iranian citizens to get around the current WhatsApp ban in the country amid ongoing protests.

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and his government have been dealing with protests and civil unrest following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman.

Amini was arrested by morality police last week, who accused her of breaking Iran's strict law requiring women to fully cover their hair with a headscarf.

Amini, who was reportedly beaten after her arrest, died in hospital having spent 3 days in a coma. Iranian authorities claim she suffered a "sudden heart failure," but this explanation has been rejected by her family.

Civil unrest has followed, with Instagram and Whatsapp reportedly being restricted as a result.

Anonymous suggested that Iranians use the internet browser Tor in order to gain access to Whatsapp.

"After Instagram, WhatsApp is now restricted in Iran," Anonymous wrote in a Tweet on Wednesday.

"Dear Iranians, use Tor to bypass it."

The Twitter page NetBlocks, which tracks network disruptions and shutdowns on the internet according to its Twitter bio, also said Iran's Instagram and Whatsapp access has been restricted.

"Iran is now subject to the most severe internet restrictions since the November 2019 massacre," the tweet read while also showing a graph of a massive decline in internet connectivity.

"Mobile networks largely shut down (MCI, Rightell, Irancell- partial).

"Regional disruptions observed during protests. Instagram, WhatsApp restricted."

In a follow-up tweet it added: "Confirmed: Messaging App WhatsApp has been restricted in Iran amid widening protests over the death of Mahsa Amini.

"Metrics show WhatsApp servers now disrupted on multiple internet providers, hours after the restriction of Instagram."

The opposition to Iran's current rule, the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), has spoken to Newsweek about the ongoing protests and the developments seen throughout the country.

"Various news sources are reporting seven to nine killed and hundreds injured and detained during the protests that have stirred outrage all through Iran," the group told Newsweek.

"Anger is seething in the streets and quashing any fears that people might have harbored of the ruthless security forces.

"The protests usually start in universities in the morning and then begin to rage in various cities across the country from late afternoon into the night."

They also added that protests were reported in at least 86 cities and towns, including the capital Tehran.

Newsweek reached out to the Iranian Foreign Ministry for comment.