On February 13, 2024, a hacker group called “Rebellion Until Overthrow” leaked parliamentary documents and emails that revealed the Islamic Republic’s internet censorship and surveillance practices. The documents showed how the government used urban cameras to surveil and suppress protesters, and how it has a vision to limit internet access to the global internet forContinue reading “The hidden war on internet access in Iran”
Tag Archives: Digital Rights in Iran
The use of VPNs is prohibited, but not criminalized
On February 19, 2024, the Supreme Council of Cyberspace published the resolution “Exploring Solutions to Increase the Share of Domestic Traffic and Counteract Anti-Censorship Tools.”(alternative link) One of the most controversial parts of this resolution was clause 6, which prohibited the use of VPNs. However, given the legal drafting rules and the principle of legalityContinue reading “The use of VPNs is prohibited, but not criminalized”
Blocking Access to the Global Internet Through Economic Pressure
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”
Iran’s Cyber Policymakers Respond to Data Breaches with Inadequate Guidelines
Data Privacy Week, celebrated worldwide from January 22 – January 28, commemorates the signing of Convention 108, the first binding international agreement on data protection, on January 28, 1981. This year, Iran marked the occasion by publishing the Guidelines for the Protection of User Privacy on Cyberspace Systems and Platforms, a document that recognizes someContinue reading “Iran’s Cyber Policymakers Respond to Data Breaches with Inadequate Guidelines”
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”
Nazer App: How Iran is Using Technology to Suppress Women’s Rights
Authors: Azin Mohajerin, Amir Rashidi Iranian women’s privacy and freedom have been increasingly violated through the government’s use of technology, especially after the Women, Life, Freedom movement. The government has a long history of using technology to spy on Iranian citizens, such as SIAM, facial recognition, e-government services, surveillance tools developed by the prosecutor’s office,Continue reading “Nazer App: How Iran is Using Technology to Suppress Women’s Rights”
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 “
Navigating Tech and Human Rights in Iran: A Human Rights Impact Assessment Guide to Engage, Assess, Act
FilterWatch and Taraaz are proud to release a new resource, “Navigating Tech and Human Rights in Iran: A Human Rights Impact Assessment Guide to Engage, Assess, Act.” This comprehensive guide is created to help technology companies make decisions that respect human rights and internet freedom in Iran. Why We Created This Guide As internet censorshipContinue reading “Navigating Tech and Human Rights in Iran: A Human Rights Impact Assessment Guide to Engage, Assess, Act”
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”
Domestic Messaging Apps: Leading in Surveillance, Lagging in Service
Executive Summary Research and polling by Filterban show that in the past year, more than 67 percent of internet users in Iran have been forced to download and use domestic messaging apps at least once. This poll, conducted from mid-to-late June 2023, reveals how the government employs various direct and indirect tactics to push citizensContinue reading “Domestic Messaging Apps: Leading in Surveillance, Lagging in Service”