You may not have heard the news: Iran shut off Internet access inside their state earlier today. If you’re in Iran, you probably can’t read this blog. If you can, you’re probably not reading it via legal means. The story goes something like this: Tomorrow is the anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Iran. Word has it that protests are planned and some have noted that by cutting off the Internet the Iranian government is hoping to achieve some control over how events might unfold.
It doesn’t take a lot of insight to come to the conclusion that the Iranian government recognizes the power of the Internet. Clearly the Internet and social media have profoundly changed the way the world communicates.
Could you survive without the Internet? Can you imagine what it would be like if the Internet were to be disconnected in your country?
First, take stock of how many times you’ve already used the Internet today. Did you check the weather forecast, chat on Facebook, read a blog? Then think about how vital the Internet is to your place of work. Send any emails today? Have you had to buy any materials? Shipped any packages? The Internet impacts almost every facet of our lives.
Is the Internet as vital to our daily lives as Electricity?
Has the Internet become another utility service, along with water, gas and electricity? Arguably we could already say that the Internet eventually will replace phone and cable TV. Consider the consequences of a sustained Internet outage. Would they be any less significant than a sustained loss of electricity?
But here’s the really interesting part to me. I took an informal survey around the office. It turns out that most of the folks here have some sort of a plan in place to deal with a power outage. I have a small portable power generator and a wood-burning fireplace, just in case. Some others have battery backup systems; but almost everyone has some sort of plan in place.
But consider the Internet. Not everyone in Iran is without access. There are those who have VPN or proxy connections enabling access. And as long I have electricity, I can think of about eight different ways I could access the Internet without even getting “creative.” The point is that, just like being prepared for a power outage, a lot of us could devise Internet outage plans without much difficulty. We just don’t need them because, for most of us, our access to the Internet is not subject to the whims of our government.
So what if it was? In the long run, in some ways I see what is happening in Iran today to be counter to their long term objectives. If my Internet access was intermittent, for whatever reason, you can count on the fact that I’d have a backup. Have you ever tried to control the Internet access of a teenager? Short of taking the device away altogether, I’ve learned that all it does is give them a reason to figure a way around whatever limits you’ve tried to enforce.
Bottom line: The Internet has become, at the very least, an important part of our daily lives. Maybe it’s the way your government tries to influence world opinion or maybe it’s just the tool you use to find the best route to commute to work.
It’s the power of ones and zeros. They can bridge distances and differences in ways no other form of communication can. And in some ways are as powerful and vital as any other public utility service.
About Michael Anderson
