On January 14, 2023, regulators issued a decree that authorized operators to raise fixed internet prices by 7 to 34 percent. This was preceded earlier in the month by a price hike in mobile internet packages, which also removed long-term, cost-effective volume packages. The price increase only applied to international traffic for both fixed andContinue reading “Blocking Access to the Global Internet Through Economic Pressure”
Author Archives: لویی شکیبی
Sistan and Baluchestan; An Internet Outage Laboratory
From December 31, 2023, to January 30, 2024, Iran experienced two significant internet access disruptions due to issues with internet gateways. These incidents mirrored similar outages that occurred twice in November 2023. Additionally, on January 16, 2024, both fixed and mobile internet services were cut off in Sistan and Baluchestan, with a similar pattern ofContinue reading “Sistan and Baluchestan; An Internet Outage Laboratory”
End of the Definite Internet Shutdown Pattern in Sistan and Baluchestan; Continuation of Unexplained Disruptions
Seven months after the order by Ibrahim Raisi, the President of Iran, to the Ministry of Communications to investigate the cause of internet slowness and disruptions and to resolve them, no response has been given to this directive. Instead, he reiterated this order during the opening session of a communications project on December 22, 2023,Continue reading “End of the Definite Internet Shutdown Pattern in Sistan and Baluchestan; Continuation of Unexplained Disruptions”
Iran’s Surveillance State: A Year of Expansion
Analytical Summary The Iranian government embarked on a new path in 2023, enacting laws and policies that aimed to restrict the hardware and software choices of its citizens in the long run. The authorities seek to monitor citizens’ through tracking software, heighten control over hardware imports, coerce them to adopting and using their favored applications,Continue reading “Iran’s Surveillance State: A Year of Expansion “
How the Iranian Government Pushes Users to the National Information Network by Raising Internet Prices
By raising the prices of mobile internet packages by over 34% and removing the cheaper long-term internet packages in December 2022, the Iranian government has advanced its agenda of imposing the National Information Network on its citizens. Under President Ebrahim Raisi’s government, the internet price has gone up twice officially. The first time was inContinue reading “How the Iranian Government Pushes Users to the National Information Network by Raising Internet Prices “
Sistan and Baluchestan:
According to research by Filterwatch using IODA data, local sources, and Filterwatch’s technical research, Sistan and Baluchestan province experienced over 5400 minutes of complete internet outages and around 300 minutes of intentional disruptions in 2023. Filterwatch has also found evidence that for the first time, the technical arm responsible for internet cut-offs and disruptions inContinue reading “Sistan and Baluchestan:”
Iran’s “People’s Lifestyle Assessment System”: A New Surveillance Threat
The Iranian government’s “Seventh Development Plan” bill, which was passed in the past month, is one of the most significant and influential laws affecting Iran’s digital realm. It contains a key section called the “Lifestyle Assessment System”, a far-reaching initiative that aims to monitor and control the activities and behaviors of Iranian users. This systemContinue reading “Iran’s “People’s Lifestyle Assessment System”: A New Surveillance Threat”
Iran’s Internet Crisis in November: A Month of Disruptions
In the month of November, Iran’s internet infrastructure faced significant challenges. The country experienced three major national-level outages, along with two additional disruptions affecting mobile and internet operators. In all three outages, the Telecommunication Infrastructure Company attributed the fault to disruptions in transmission lines and international internet routes. The severe network routing disruption, or ActiveContinue reading “Iran’s Internet Crisis in November: A Month of Disruptions”
The Ongoing Expansion of Technological Surveillance Against Women
The Iranian government is still focused on developing internet and surveillance policies on women’s hijab, more than a year after the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement began. The ‘Sepid’ plan is the latest initiative by the country’s Prosecutor General to crack down on ‘immodesty’ in cyberspace. It works alongside the ‘Nazer’ project, which is carried outContinue reading “The Ongoing Expansion of Technological Surveillance Against Women”
Digital Market “Capitulation”: The Tiered Internet System in the Tourism Sector
Iran’s tourism industry is introducing a new system of tourist SIM cards that allow foreign visitors and tourism workers to access the internet without censorship. The system was inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo’s visit to Iran, which sparked a debate about internet freedom in the country. However, the system also reinforces the government’s plan to createContinue reading “Digital Market “Capitulation”: The Tiered Internet System in the Tourism Sector”