The Importance of Internet Freedom in Iran and the Role of the US Government in Supporting It
The issue of internet freedom in Iran is a complex one, with digital rights activists working abroad to support the country in its quest for greater online accessibility and freedom. Strategists like Reza Ghazinouri of San Francisco-based United for Iran have found that the US government provides the most support for the major VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) used in Iran, which are important in navigating the government’s extensive filtering and increasing the availability of uncensored information. However, other activists like Amir Rashidi of the Iran-focused group Miaan caution against US government support that may actually hinder internet freedom in the country. He cites the sanctions against Arvan Cloud, an Iranian tech company that has published an annual transparency report, as an example of what could be harmful to internet infrastructure in Iran.
Exploring the Impact of Sanctioning Tech Companies in Iran
While Rashidi concedes the fact of tight governmental control over Iranian tech companies, he is of the opinion that US sanctions against such companies only make government censorship of the internet easier and act as part of the bigger problem of more Internet protocols in Iran being restricted. He also notes that while Arvan Cloud executives like Pouya Pirhosseinloo may be targeted by sanctions, the company has worked to support greater internet freedom in Iran by opposing restrictive legislation – which also saw Arvan Cloud join other digital rights activists and tech organizations in opposing efforts to regulate the sector.
Pushing for Greater Transparency in US Government Strategies in Supporting Internet Freedom in Iran
Despite the US government’s efforts to promote internet freedom in Iran by supporting VPNs, questions remain regarding the motivations behind the support, and just how helpful it actually is. Rashidi calls for greater clarity in US government support strategies, stating that while he acknowledges the role of VPNs in providing access to uncensored information, more evidence is required to show why some Iranian tech companies are targeted by sanctions while others are not. Pirhosseinloo also supports opening up access to the internet, including the removal of filters, outages, and restrictions on protocols that do not respect the privacy of users.
Combining the Efforts of Tech Companies and Digital Rights Activists to Promote Greater Internet Freedom in Iran
While internet freedom in Iran remains an issue that has no quick or easy fix, it is important to continue working towards it through the combined efforts of tech companies and digital rights activists. Meetings, forums, and platforms where activists can engage, network, and share ideas help in mobilizing efforts and building awareness among global thinkers and players who can bring pressure to bear on governments. The clash between governments and activists in this regard reflects on a global scale, indicating the importance of freedom on the internet.
Summary
Internet freedom in Iran remains a contentious issue, and while the US government has sought to provide support for VPNs as a way of promoting greater internet freedom in Iran, questions remain regarding the actual impact of their efforts. Digital rights activists like Amir Rashidi caution that sanctions against Iranian tech companies may hinder internet freedom in the country, while others like Reza Ghazinouri acknowledge their role in providing support for major VPNs used in Iran.
Additional Piece – Understanding the Complexities of Internet Freedom in Iran
Internet freedom is a critical aspect of democratization, and in Iran, the fight for it is especially challenging due to the heavy government censorship and surveillance. Iranians have historically relied on VPNs to access uncensored information on the internet as well as communicating with each other, but the government crackdown on VPNs since 2013 has stifled internet freedoms significantly. To compound the situation, the government has been investing in infrastructure that supports even more stringent filtering and censorship.
The need for advocacy, public awareness, and education is more vital now than ever before. There is a general lack of trust between digital activists abroad and the Iranian government on the subject of net freedoms. Digital activists have been speaking out against Iranian cyber policies and government control, and governments have taken the conversation to the sanctions arena, leading to a stalemate between both groups.
However, there are very few local activist groups actively advocating for internet freedom in Iran. They lack the funding and resources to push for internet freedom initiatives. It is a critical issue that could have a significant impact on the Iranian society’s growth and development. The Iranian government has made successive efforts to crackdown on internet use within the country, and internet freedoms will only be possible if the fight is kept alive within the country. One practical approach to this is to organize local internet freedom groups who will relentlessly push for the issue.
The Global picture paints a vastly worrying image, a recent study by Freedom House shows that internet freedom has been on a general decline globally. Governments around the globe are implementing measures that stifle net freedoms. For activists fighting for internet freedom in Iran, they are battling not just the Iranian government but a global tyranny metaphorized in global internet regulation. This underlines the need for global collaboration of digital activists and a robust advocacy system that can back their efforts.
The future of internet freedom in Iran is uncertain, and there are no guarantees as to where it’s headed. But it underscores the need to build local capacity and to have a functional system that can advocate for internet freedom in the country. The fight is majorly about information access, making it a crucial foundation of the democratization process.
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Digital rights activists working abroad to support Iran say US government support for circumvention tools has been valuable.
“It’s certainly true that they provide the greatest amount of support for the major VPNs used in Iran,” says Reza Ghazinouri, a strategic adviser at United for Iran, a San Francisco-based human rights and civil liberties group.
But some have reservations about the strategies the US government has used to promote internet freedom in Iran. Amir Rashidi, director of internet security and digital rights at the Iran-focused human rights organization Miaan Group, says he is concerned about the sanctions against Arvan Cloud because he worries that cracking down on key digital services in Iran will simply add more restrictions.
“Anywhere, if you go after infrastructure, even if it’s controlled by the government, sanctioning an electric or gas company, that’s not going to help anyone,” Rashidi says. “If you sanction the Internet infrastructure, you are simply making the job of the Iranian government much easier.
Rashidi also notes that while he is not surprised that a company like Arvan has close ties to the Iranian regime, he wants the US government to provide more detailed evidence as to why it chose this tech company to be sanctioned over any another in Iran. . He notes that Arvan is apparently the only Iranian tech company to publish a annual transparency report of any kind, even if it’s often not particularly illuminating.
In July 2021, Arvan also publicly joined other Iranian tech companies and digital rights activists in oppose restrictive legislation the regime was promoting under the guise of a “user protection” bill. And on Tuesday, the company’s chief executive, Pouya Pirhosseinloo, one of the executives named in the US Treasury sanctions on Friday, published an essay calling for greater internet freedom inside Iran.
Pirhosseinloo wrote that Iran should focus on “removing extensive internet filtering and outages” as well as “removing any kind of disruption and restrictions on internet protocols in the name of dealing with VPNs.” And he concluded by calling for a massive review of Iran’s approach to Internet freedom.
“We should accept that Iran must be brought out of global isolation, sanctions, and hope must be restored to the body of Iranian society through the removal of internal sanctions,” Pirhosseinloo wrote. “Such a path will not begin until life is restored through Internet freedom and the removal of its pervasive disruptions and restrictions. Return to the roots of the digital economy.”
Iran’s digital landscape is complicated and efforts to influence the Iranian regime are never easy.
“I’m not saying these people are fantastic, but they were outspoken against the Iranian government’s plans,” says Rashidi. “Maybe the US government has information that I don’t, but I’d like to see more evidence to back up the claim.”
https://www.wired.com/story/us-iran-internet-freedom-sanctions/
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