Internet blackouts have been reported across Iran, with an increase in censorship reported since Feb. 9, when Google services and many non-Iranian websites were blocked for users, according to the Iran Media Program, part of University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg school for communication.

The program reported Feb. 9 that "Iran has blocked all SSL protocol, and any websites using this protocol are not currently viewable inside Iran." Internet users inside Iran could still access non-Iranian websites, however, by using circumvention tools like VPNs or proxies.

Some analysts suspect the timing of the Internet crackdown is an effort to quell online organizing for potential protests to mark the anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, on Feb. 11.

In August, Iran's Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Reza Taqipour Anvari, said a national "clean Internet" was under development and would launch in early 2012. The Iranian Internet would be accompanied by a national search engine called "Ya Haq," which translates to "Oh Just One," reported Reporters without Borders.

Iranian officials said the closed Internet will improve the nation's cybersecurity posture. In 2010, the industrial computer systems that support Iran's nuclear program were attacked by the Stuxnet worm.

In June, the New York Times reported that the U.S. government was developing a "shadow Internet" to allow Internet connectivity and open access to the web for individuals in censored Internet environments.

For more:
- see the Iran Media Program blog post
- see the Reporters Without Borders article
- see the New York Times article

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