Tor use in Iran is on the rise

In Iran, the use of the Tor network has increased significantly. According to The Tor Project, these are users who connect directly to the network. The increase is probably related to the protests against the Iranian government.

According to estimates by The Tor Project, the number of users has risen sharply around the turn of the year, past 10,000. Between September and the end of December the number fluctuated approximately between 5,500 and 7,500 and between February and mid-August it was slightly lower. In the period before that, the Iranian government blocked direct connections to Tor. That blockade started in August 2016. Clients connecting via a bridge are not included in the recent figures.

The significant increase is likely related to recent protests in Iran against the incumbent government. At least nine people were killed last night, NOS reports. The head of a special court in Tehran has said protesters could face the death penalty if they go to trial. In response to the protests, the government in the country has been blocking Telegram and Instagram since last weekend, according to Al Jazeerah. Telegram founder Pavel Durov claims that the blockades preceded requests to close protest channels. Telegram did not comply with those demands.

Demonstrations have been taking place in various places since Thursday; initially because of rising fuel and food prices, but these soon turned specifically against the government of Ayatollah Khamenei.