Many users saw the internet as an easy way to circumvent Iran's strict press laws. Iran underwent a significant increase in internet usage in the early 2000s.

Iranians use social media despite government restrictions, although many bloggers, online activists, and technical staff have faced prison sentences, torture, harassment and abuse. Despite their support of censorship, Khamenei and Ahmadinejad have shared posts on social networks that are blocked in Iran, such as Facebook and Twitter. The sixth president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also supports internet censorship in the country. The head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran is elected by the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, who advocates that the internet was invented by the enemies of Iran to use against its people. Iranian internet is controlled by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran and the Supreme Council of Cyberspace of Iran. Sites relating to health, science, sports, news, pornography and shopping are also routinely blocked.

The government also blocks some streaming services, including Netflix and Hulu. The Iranian government and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Sepah also block several social media and communications platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Telegram, Snapchat, and Medium. As of 2012, the country blocks approximately 27% of internet sites and as of 2013, blocks half of the top 500 visited websites worldwide.

Iran is notable for its degree of government-sponsored internet censorship. Iran is seen by many to be a country with internet censorship. The Iranian government, in response to the 2019 Iranian protests, implemented an internet shutdown that reduced internet traffic in the country to 5% of its usual amount. Many of the world's most popular websites have been blocked in Iran.

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