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The issues involved — unintended consequences of long-term sanctions and inherent biases built into content moderation, among others — are not unique. But in the case of Iran, in the short term policymakers face few satisfactory options.
One of the key factors fueling the protests – the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, a so-called moral police officer, and the widespread revolt against Iran’s religious leaders – is anger. The generation that grew up on the Internet. Negin, a high school teacher in Tehran, told The Washington Post that the young man who joined the rally “doesn’t accept much of what has been forced upon us.” For her safety, she gave only her first name. I think their biggest difference is that they were born in cyberspace.
Limiting access to the digital world is a key part of Tehran’s nearly month-long effort to silence protests. Authorities have blocked WhatsApp and Instagram (other international social media platforms have been blocked), blocked or restricted Internet and cellular access, and doubled down on online surveillance censorship. Despite the dangers, Iranians still find ways to share videos, meet foreign journalists and activists, and connect with family and friends abroad.
Among the victims of the attacks in Tehran were technologists such as Amir “Jadi” Mirmirani, who were arrested on October 5. But since the government has built its own internet network and Filtered Iranian IT companies to work with government and enable online censorship.
“I am appalled by the general silencing of the most important sources of information in tech, the Internet, and online,” said Mahsa Alimardani, senior researcher at the Internet freedom group Article 19. He tweeted. October 5. She mentioned five similar arrests in recent weeks.
Washington’s response followed a familiar script: condemnation and sanctions. The Biden administration has tread carefully. straight ahead Support for the protests could backfire amid widespread suspicion of the United States in Iran and senior Iranian leaders blaming the uprising on Western incitement.
As I wrote in January, Biden has been accused by critics of prioritizing negotiations to return to the 2015 nuclear deal that gave the Iranians relief from nuclear-related sanctions. Other restricted directories. The objection may be a challenge to that approach.
Beyond Iran’s bans, some technology sanctions make it harder for opponents to organize and share information online. Advocates have been pushing policymakers for years to update exemptions from technology-related sanctions that restrict Internet services, software and hardware that Iranians can import or use. My colleague Jason Rezaian wrote in a recent op-ed, “These communications sanctions are part of a myopic approach that filters out all aspects of Iran’s nuclear development and other potential military threats through economic sanctions. Invariably, however, ordinary people and civil society suffer the most severe impacts.
The Treasury Department issued new guidelines on Sept. 23 to make it easier for companies to offer certain free services, such as cloud storage programs. The change will “enhance internet freedom and the free flow of information” and “make digital communications more accessible to counter Iranian government censorship,” Foreign Secretary Anthony Blinken said. He tweeted.. The Treasury has named Iran’s interior minister, communications minister and cyber police chief, among others, for their roles in the operation.
In the short term, regulations “will not affect the repression of the Internet, which helps the repression of the opposition.” Alimardani said. Along with Iran’s censorship, years of blocking Iranians from fast-changing technologies have inadvertently boosted Tehran’s efforts to build its own national internet and centralize online control, she said.
Iranians are worried about their safety when they go online. Even before the uprising, surveillance companies’ sharing of data with the state was a concern. Virtual private networks and other encryption services are needed to bypass censorship and mask online activity. But the strongest ones are made by companies outside of Iran, and some charge fees that most Iranians under the embargo can’t afford. (At least one US company has waived the fee.)
Giving people a false sense of security can also be dangerous. Elon Musk tweeted on September 23 that he had “launched” the satellite-based Internet service Starlink on Iran — despite the huge logistical challenges that would make it difficult for Iranians to connect. The news reached Iran, where some people downloaded Starlink-related apps only to receive malware instead, said Pouria Nazimi, an Iranian journalist based in Montreal.
Tech companies may begin to design stronger policies in areas where governments shut down the Internet to counter consumer demand. In the meantime, Silicon Valley alone cannot stop Iran’s current disruption, Nazimi said.. But some critics say the quick response of Facebook and Instagram owners Twitter and Meta to changing the rules after Russia invaded this year shows the companies are prioritizing some countries. For example, Meta loosened its policy on Ukrainian hate speech; Iranians still have posts that include “death to the dictator” — a key protest slogan with a long history in Iran — flagged and taken down.
At the very least, Nazimi said, tech leaders in Silicon Valley like Mirmirani and others who are taking their freedom online can rally behind them, “so people trapped in the tech sector know they’re not forgotten.”
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