Source: Bloomberg
NetBlocks' designation of Iran's blackout as the longest recorded shutdown in a "connected society" reframes internet access from convenience to infrastructure. The distinction matters: Iran's economy had integrated digital dependencies before the cutoff, making the damage structurally different from disconnections in less digitized nations. The reported layoffs and business closures suggest the Iranian state is absorbing massive economic costs to maintain information control. That calculation will shape how other governments weigh similar shutdowns against their own economic exposure.