Iran's National Security Council recently approved a plan to grant certain groups paid internet access, albeit with a daily usage limit on foreign websites and international data traffic.
The internet in Iran has been shut down since the US and Israel launched attacks on February 28.
The so-called "Internet Pro" does not refer to a technical upgrade but allows users standard internet access that bypasses the block.
According to journalist and internet researcher Solmaz Eikder, major platforms like Instagram, X, and YouTube—which have long been blocked in Iran—still cannot be used even by many Internet Pro users without using a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
Eikder has been living in exile in Europe for five years. She works for "Filterban," a research initiative focusing on internet censorship, digital repression and surveillance in Iran. The initiative is frequently used by journalists, activists and researchers who study digital repression in Iran.
