Internet Shutdowns and the spread of #mahsaamini tweets
Protests have long been part of Iran’s history, but the protests that erupted following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini marked a significant moment. Amini died after being detained by the Islamic Republic’s “morality police,” sparking widespread outrage. Iranians took to the streets demanding greater freedoms. In response, the Islamic Republic imposed a near-total blackout on independent information leaving the country. A battle to control the narrative played out online, with both supporters and opponents of the government using social media to share their version of events.
- The first visualization highlights countries that experienced internet shutdowns from January 2016 to December 2021.
- The second graph illustrates the surge in tweets containing the hashtag #IranProtests2022
- The final visualization showcases the most influential tweets related to the hashtag #mahsaamini during the protest period.
Internet Shutdowns by Country (2016-2019):This visualization displays countries that experienced more than six internet shutdowns between January 26, 2016, and June 3, 2019. The chart highlights the prevalence of shutdowns in various regions, with India standing out as having the highest number of recorded shutdowns during this period