During the third quarter of this year (July to September 2020) Iranian authorities continued to restrict and violate the fundamental rights of Iranian internet users through continued arrest and prosecution. While Iran’s Cyber Police (FATA) and the Judiciary both played major roles in restricting and threatening online freedoms, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forcesContinue reading “FATAwatch: July – September 2020”
Yearly Archives: 2020
The Perils of Digital Sovereignty
In February 2020, then newly elected President of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen, summed up her inaugural op-ed on the EC’s digital strategy in one phrase: “tech sovereignty.” The concept, according to von der Leyen, “refers to the capability that Europe must have to make its own choices, based on its ownContinue reading “The Perils of Digital Sovereignty”
Artificial Intelligence & Digital Rights in Iran: An Introduction
AI and Closed Countries: Why Context Matters Ever-evolving networked technologies continue to shape us all, with the Internet fundamentally transforming the ways our societies, governments and the private technology sector operate, and interact. Nearly 30 years on since the birth of the commercial Internet – the World Wide Web – its initial promises to deliverContinue reading “Artificial Intelligence & Digital Rights in Iran: An Introduction”
Policy Monitor – November 2020
In November, the Supreme Council for Cyberspace failed to meet for a second month, while the Majles finally voted for two MPs to fill the two parliamentary seats in the Committee for Determining Instances of Criminal Content also known as the country’s internet filtering committee. Conditions for Iran’s gig workers also made headlines as driversContinue reading “Policy Monitor – November 2020”
Network Monitor – November 2020
Iran’s internet was quite stable throughout November 2020. The only meaningful disruption in this period took place on November 16 and 17, which happened to coincide with the anniversary of last year’s protests and nationwide internet shutdown. On these two days, many users reported that their connections were slow and disrupted. A source at TelecommunicationContinue reading “Network Monitor – November 2020”
FATAwatch: April – June 2020
Major social media platforms, especially Instagram – one of the few international platforms still accessible in Iran – continue to be a target for Iranian authorities for yet another quarter. While millions of Iranians use Instagram and Telegram (with the help of circumvention tools) everyday Iran’s Cyber Police (FATA) with the help of the judiciaryContinue reading “FATAwatch: April – June 2020”
Digital Rights and Technology Sector Accountability in Iran
Our new report “Digital Rights & Technology Sector Accountability in Iran: The Case of Messaging Apps” examines the role of a frequently overlooked, but vitally important group of actors in the digital ecosystem of Iran: Iranian private-sector technology companies. From January to September 2020, Filterwatch worked with the technology and human rights research organisation TaraazContinue reading “Digital Rights and Technology Sector Accountability in Iran”
Digital Rights Workbook: Start the Conversation in your Company
Filterbaan and Taraaz Research’s report “Digital Rights & Technology Sector Accountability in Iran: The Case of Messaging Apps” uses an adapted version of the Ranking Digital Rights Corporate Accountability Index methodology to assess Iranian technology companies’ disclosure of how their policies and practices either uphold, or undermine the fundamental human rights of their users. ThisContinue reading “Digital Rights Workbook: Start the Conversation in your Company”
Policy Monitor – October 2020
The publication of this month’s Policy Monitor coincides with the first anniversary of the violent crackdown during the November 2019 fuel price protests which broke out across Iran following the sudden announcement of fuel price increases. As Iranians took to the streets across the country to make their voices heard, the country plunged into darknessContinue reading “Policy Monitor – October 2020”
Network Monitor – October 2020
Network Monitor – October 2020 In October Filterwatch observed three major disruptions. Internet users in Khuzestan were particularly adversely affected by these disruptions. The three key stories this month include: AS58256 Rayaneh Gostar Farzanegan Ahwaz were almost offline on October 26 8 o’clock. IPM had two major disruptions on October 14 and 16. Tehran MunicipalityContinue reading “Network Monitor – October 2020”