Government control of the Internet increases in Iran

Iranian government control has shut down social media and disrupted internet access in response to recent protests over the past two weeks. The new controls show an ‘unprecedented ability for the nation to shut down dissent online’, according to a new human rights report. The report, from the Center for Human Rights in Iran, Guards at the Gate: The Expanding State Control Over the Internet in Iran outlines the technology used for control, as explained in Internet Cut-Off During Recent Unrest in Iran Reveals Tehran’s New Cyber Capabilities.

However, according to Iran’s Women Need The Internet Right Now, And You Can (Really) Help, important online applications such as Toosheh (for downloading resources via satellite) and Torjani (resources for victims of domestic violence) are spreading to help users, especially women, continue to function online in spite of these controls.