Life under Iran’s digital blackout

The FT News Briefing explores the profound impact of Iran's prolonged internet blackout, which began after U.S.-Israel strikes in late February 2026 and has left millions of Iranians without online access for over two months. This nationwide shutdown—dubbed the longest in history by cyber watchdog Netblock—has devastated livelihoods, with an estimated $80 million in daily economic damage, particularly affecting freelancers, teachers, and online vendors. While the government claims the blackout is a security measure to prevent cyberattacks, critics argue it's a tool of information control, enabling the regime to suppress dissent and maintain narrative dominance during times of crisis. Families are left without emergency alerts during bombings, relying solely on state media or overseas satellite channels for news. The episode underscores how the Islamic Republic’s digital repression is not a new tactic but a recurring strategy during unrest, protests, or war, with infrastructure designed to endure beyond individual leadership. Meanwhile, the podcast touches on broader global developments: the UAE’s surprise exit from OPEC amid geopolitical tensions and energy market volatility, and the surge in emerging market stocks driven by AI-related semiconductor demand, particularly from Taiwan Semiconductor, Samsung, and SK Hynix. The episode also covers a U.S. FCC probe into Disney stations over alleged discrimination, sparked by a satirical joke about Melania Trump that reignited political tensions.