In recent months, the patrol vans of the "Guidance Patrol"—the most visible symbols of Iran’s street-level hijab enforcement once used to stop, warn, detain, and transport women accused of violating compulsory dress codes—have largely faded from public view. While this has led some observers to believe that pressure on women is easing, the reality isContinue reading "From Morality Police Vans to Digital Batons: A Paradigm Shift in the Repression of Women"
Yearly Archives: 2025
How Internet Censorship Impacts the Women’s Rights Movement in Iran: Insights from OONI Data and Activist Interviews
Contributors: (Miaan Group: Narges Keshavarznia, Denna Millet, Amir Rashidi), (OONI: Maria Xynou, Mehul Gulati, Arturo Filastò, Elizaveta Yachmeneva) Women’s rights are severely restricted in Iran. Three years ago, the Women, Life, Freedom movement – and widespread protests – erupted in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Jina Amini in police custody in September 2022. But according toContinue reading "How Internet Censorship Impacts the Women’s Rights Movement in Iran: Insights from OONI Data and Activist Interviews"
Iran’s Two-Tier Internet: High Cost for Public, Free Access for Elite, Deepening Digital Divide
In November 2025, Iran’s internet policy accelerated its trajectory toward a system defined by high costs for the majority, and privileged, unfiltered access for a select few. This widening gap is the primary driver of a deepening digital divide, structural discrimination, and expanding state surveillance. Rather than addressing the root causes of network issues, authoritiesContinue reading "Iran’s Two-Tier Internet: High Cost for Public, Free Access for Elite, Deepening Digital Divide"
X Update Reveals Digital Authoritarianism in Iran: The ‘White SIM Card’ Scandal
The Internet Divide: Iran’s Elite Access Uncensored Internet While the Public is Blocked As Iranian officials seek to present the country’s tiered internet policy as “Phased Unfiltering” (or “staged unfiltering”), a small update on X (formerly Twitter) made its real-world effects impossible to ignore. It highlighted what digital rights advocates have long warned: that forContinue reading "X Update Reveals Digital Authoritarianism in Iran: The ‘White SIM Card’ Scandal"
Digital Repression in Iran: Implementing Undisclosed Policies for Tiered Access and Judicial Control
In October 2025, the Iranian government intensified its strategy of digital repression through the practical, step-by-step implementation of policies derived from the undisclosed 32-article resolution of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace (SCC). The key development was the expansion of a tiered internet structure at the university level and the institutionalization of sweeping new legal controls.Continue reading "Digital Repression in Iran: Implementing Undisclosed Policies for Tiered Access and Judicial Control"
The Black Box of the Judiciary: Inside Iran’s AI Transformation (Part 2)
Executive Summary The Islamic Republic of Iran is aggressively pursuing a strategy of "Smart Governance," with the Judiciary serving as the primary testing ground for this digital transformation. Official directives, particularly the "National AI Document" and the "Judiciary Transformation Document," reveal a dual intent: to modernize an inefficient bureaucracy while simultaneously deepening the state’s capacityContinue reading "The Black Box of the Judiciary: Inside Iran’s AI Transformation (Part 2)"
The Digital Iron Cage: Internet Micro-Disruptions, Crypto Control, and the Rise of Digital Authoritarianism in Iran
In September, based on identified disruptions alone, Iran's internet experienced the equivalent of 25 full days of outages in a single month. Despite official claims of "improving internet quality," even officials within the Ministry of Communications have admitted that 80% of users rely on VPNs and 70% of the country's traffic flows through circumvention tools.Continue reading "The Digital Iron Cage: Internet Micro-Disruptions, Crypto Control, and the Rise of Digital Authoritarianism in Iran"
Iran’s ‘Stealth Blackout’: A Multi-stakeholder Analysis of the June 2025 Internet Shutdown
Authors: Miaan Group, ASL19, IODA Contributors: Kentik, Cloudflare, OONI, Tor, Lantern, eQualitie, Psiphon, Deutsche Welle Executive Summary The June 2025 Internet shutdown in Iran, carried out during the war with Israel, marked a significant and strategically distinct moment in digital repression. This operation, which we term the "stealth blackout," differed sharply from earlier shutdowns that reliedContinue reading "Iran’s ‘Stealth Blackout’: A Multi-stakeholder Analysis of the June 2025 Internet Shutdown"
Control Over Innovation: Iran’s Paradoxical AI Development (Part 1)
From National Ambitions to Surveillance Tools Executive Summary The Islamic Republic of Iran is aggressively pursuing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to strengthen its national development and security. Official directives, such as the "National AI Document" and the "Judiciary Transformation Document," reveal an ambition to join the leading countries in the field. However, Iran’s path is distinctContinue reading "Control Over Innovation: Iran’s Paradoxical AI Development (Part 1)"
August 2025: Iran’s Internet Under Pressure from Self-Sanctioning and Filtering
Iran’s internet is in a state of continuous disruption, with new data revealing a system under immense stress from both internal policies and external pressures. Over the past month, a staggering 680 hours of internet disruption were recorded across 60 separate incidents. These outages are a symptom of a larger digital crisis, fueled by restrictiveContinue reading "August 2025: Iran’s Internet Under Pressure from Self-Sanctioning and Filtering"