Challenges to Internet freedom in Iran

Amid the recent anti-government protests which erupted on 28 December 2017 and continued until January 2018 in Iran, the Iranian authorities have embraced several measures to disrupt Internet access. Ten citizen-journalists were arrested according to Reporters Without Borders. Additionally, the Iranian authorities cut off Internet access and blocked Instagram, the photo-sharing application, and Telegram, the instant messaging application, ‘to preserve the peace and security of citizens’, as reported by the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. In response, four UN Special Rapporteurs condemned the clampdown on Internet freedom and urged the authorities to respect protesters’ rights to freedom of expression and assembly.​