Internet Outage Undermines Economy

The damage inflicted on Iran’s economy at this particular time (nationwide internet shutdown in response to protests) is estimated to stand at $1.5 million or 450 billion rials per hour, according to the latest statistics by NetBlocks, a watchdog organization that monitors cybersecurity and internet governance. 
The Research Department of the Iranian National Tax Administration has put the losses at 10,800 billion rials per day, Mohammad Mehdi Mazrouei, an economic expert, prefaced his write-up for the Persian daily Shargh with these figures. A translation of the text follows:
Forty million Iranians are active on Instagram and according to the Statistical Center of Iran, up to 10 million out of 11 million of online businesses use Instagram, either directly or indirectly. Many of them are home-based businesses, traditional businesses and those active in the services sector. They use Instagram to promote their business and sell their products.