Iran has imposed curbs on the internet in the year since protests erupted over Mahsa Amini's death, forcing people to find other ways to run their businesses or keep in touch with loved ones. Finding ways around internet curbs has become commonplace in Iran where authorities have repeatedly blocked access over the years at times of unrest.
Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died on September 16, 2022 after her arrest in Tehran for an alleged breach of the Islamic republic's strict dress code for women.
"The damage has been irreversible," she said, with profits linked to her Instagram account -- which had amassed thousands of followers -- nosediving 80 percent.- get the most important news directly in your favourite app! To keep her business afloat, Samimi resorted to using virtual private networks and anti-filter tools to bypass the censorship.
The 32-year-old said he could maintain communication lines with clients in Iran but it was more challenging with those abroad."But what are the options?" A decade later, harsher curbs were imposed after protesters took to the streets over a government decision to raise fuel prices by 200 percent.In March, Iran's telecommunications minister Issa Zarepour urged foreign companies to introduce representative offices in Iran, saying"no one wants to limit the internet and we can have international platforms".