Fighting VPN criminalization should be Big Tech’s top priority, activists say

Fighting VPN criminalization should be Big Tech’s top priority, activists say

Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images)

“Women, life, freedom” became the protest chant of a revolution still raging in Iran months after a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, died while in custody of morality police. Amini was arrested last September for “improperly” wearing a hijab and violating the Islamic Republic’s mandatory dress code laws. Since then, her name has become a viral hashtag invoked by millions of online activists protesting authoritarian regimes around the globe.

In response to Iran’s ongoing protests—mostly led by women and young people—Iranian authorities have increasingly restricted Internet access. First, they temporarily blocked popular app stores and indefinitely blocked social media apps like WhatsApp and Instagram. They then implemented sporadic mobile shutdowns wherever protests flared up. Perhaps most extreme, authorities responded to protests in southeast Iran in February by blocking the Internet outright, Al Arabiya reported. Digital and human rights experts say motivations include controlling information, keeping protestors offline, and forcing protestors to use state services where their online activities can be more easily tracked—and sometimes trigger arrests.

As getting online has become increasingly challenging for everyone in Iran—not just protestors—millions have learned to rely on virtual private networks (VPNs) to hide Internet activity, circumvent blocks, and access accurate information beyond state propaganda. Simply put, VPNs work by masking a user’s IP address so that governments have a much more difficult time monitoring activity or detecting a user’s location. They do this by routing the user’s data to the VPN provider’s remote servers, making it much harder for an ISP (or a government) to correlate the Internet activity of the VPN provider’s servers with the individual users actually engaging in that activity.

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#china, #features, #free-speech, #google, #internet-shutdown, #iran, #jigsaw, #meta, #online-censorship, #policy, #proxy, #russia, #virtual-private-networks, #vpn, #whatsapp

An Untold Story Behind Jimmy Carter’s Presidential Defeat

Nearly 43 years later, a prominent Texas politician said he was an unwitting part of a mission to sabotage President Carter’s campaign.

#ben-barnes, #carter-jimmy, #casey-william-j, #gary-sick, #iran, #john-b-connally-jr, #kidnapping-and-hostages, #october-surprise-americas-hostages-in-iran-and-the-election-of-ronald-reagan-book, #presidential-election-of-1980, #reagan-ronald-wilson, #united-states-politics-and-government

For Iran, Saudi Détente Could Ease Strains Regionally and at Home

Long seen as a regional troublemaker and on the defensive from advances made by Israel, Iran sees the restoration of ties with its rival as a win for all sides, analysts say.

#international-relations, #iran, #middle-east, #saudi-arabia

How the Saudi-Iran Pact Could Transform the Middle East

Both countries as well as the broader region have much to gain from the reset in relations — if the agreement truly holds.

#china, #international-relations, #iran, #lebanon, #mohammed-bin-salman-1985, #muslims-and-islam, #persian-gulf, #riyadh-saudi-arabia, #saudi-arabia, #tehran-iran, #united-states-international-relations, #yemen

China’s Role in Iran-Saudi Deal Shows Xi’s Challenge to U.S.-led Order

Brokering a rapprochement between the Middle Eastern rivals underscores the Chinese leader’s ambition of offering an alternative to a U.S.-led world order.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #china, #communist-party-of-china, #international-relations, #iran, #khashoggi-jamal, #middle-east, #mohammed-bin-salman-1985, #raisi-ebrahim, #riyadh-saudi-arabia, #saudi-arabia, #shamkhani-ali, #stimson-center, #united-states-international-relations, #wang-yi, #xi-jinping

Iran-Saudi Pact Is Brokered by China, Leaving U.S. on Sidelines

The agreement negotiated in Beijing to restore relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran signaled at least a temporary reordering of the usual alliances and rivalries, with Washington left on the sidelines.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #china, #international-relations, #iran, #middle-east, #saudi-arabia, #united-states-international-relations

Saudi Deal With Iran Surprises Israel and Jolts Netanyahu

Israel had long hoped to isolate Iran and seal ties with Saudi Arabia. A thaw between Riyadh and Tehran has complicated that goal — and was perceived as politically damaging to the prime minister.

#international-relations, #iran, #israel, #lapid-yair, #netanyahu-benjamin, #peace-process, #persian-gulf, #riyadh-saudi-arabia, #saudi-arabia, #united-arab-emirates

What to Know About the Iranian-Saudi Deal

The regional rivals have agreed to re-establish diplomatic ties in an agreement brokered by China that could reverberate across the Middle East and beyond.

#china, #internal-storyline-no, #international-relations, #iran, #khamenei-ali, #mohammed-bin-salman-1985, #muslims-and-islam, #saudi-arabia, #united-states-international-relations, #xi-jinping

Saudi Arabia and Iran Agree to Re-establish Ties in Major Regional Shift

The two regional rivals agreed to reactivate a lapsed security cooperation agreement as well as older trade, investment and cultural pacts.

#international-relations, #iran, #saudi-arabia

Outraged Over Illnesses Among Schoolgirls, Iranians Return to Streets

With thousands of girls falling ill and claims of poisonings, Iranians held the first wide-scale protests in months.

#demonstrations-protests-and-riots, #education, #iran, #medicine-and-health, #poisoning-and-poisons, #politics-and-government, #women-and-girls, #womens-rights

Plunge in Currency Deepens Iran’s Economic Crisis

Years of Western sanctions are partly to blame for the crisis. But economists say poor management by the country’s authoritarian clerical rulers also plays a big part.

#demonstrations-protests-and-riots, #economic-conditions-and-trends, #iran, #iranian-rial-currency, #islamic-revolutionary-guards-corps, #poverty, #tehran-iran, #us-dollar-currency

Their Hair Long and Flowing or in Ponytails, Women in Iran Flaunt Their Locks

Defiant resistance to Iran’s mandatory hijab law has exploded across the country after nationwide protests that erupted last year.

#amini-mahsa-2000-22, #demonstrations-protests-and-riots, #iran, #khamenei-ali, #muslim-veiling, #muslims-and-islam, #politics-and-government, #raisi-ebrahim, #women-and-girls, #womens-rights

China to Welcome Belarusian Leader, Raising Concerns Over Ukraine

A state visit next week by Aleksandr G. Lukashenko of Belarus seems to confirm U.S. fears that China is prepared to send lethal aid to Russia.

#belarus, #china, #international-relations, #iran, #lukashenko-aleksandr-g, #putin-vladimir-v, #russian-invasion-of-ukraine-2022, #ukraine, #xi-jinping, #zelensky-volodymyr

A NATO Minnow Reels From Cyberattacks Linked to Iran

Albania has been the target of repeated digital assaults believed to be linked to its sheltering of an Iranian dissident group on its soil.

#albania, #cyberwarfare-and-defense, #international-relations, #iran, #north-atlantic-treaty-organization, #politics-and-government

The U.S. Intelligence Playbook to Expose Russia’s Ukraine War Plans

Bolder disclosures are part of a larger effort to stymie the Kremlin’s offensive in Ukraine and align support for Kyiv’s war effort in allied countries.

#arms-trade, #biden-joseph-r-jr, #blinken-antony-j, #central-intelligence-agency, #china, #classified-information-and-state-secrets, #crimea-ukraine, #defense-and-military-forces, #embargoes-and-sanctions, #espionage-and-intelligence-services, #europe, #iran, #russia, #russian-invasion-of-ukraine-2022, #state-department, #sullivan-jacob-j-1976, #ukraine, #united-states-international-relations, #united-states-politics-and-government

Images Show Hidden Clues About Iran’s Significant Fighter Jet Upgrade

In early February, Iranian state media aired a video about an underground Air Force base. Details in the footage and satellite images point toward the possible arrival of advanced Russian jets.

#defense-and-military-forces, #iran, #military-aircraft, #satellites, #your-feed-visual-investigations

China Tries to Depict Furor Over Spy Balloon as Sign of U.S. Decline

Ignoring charges of spying, Beijing says Washington’s “overreaction” is a symptom of the country’s broken politics.

#balloons-aeronautics, #biden-joseph-r-jr, #china, #espionage-and-intelligence-services, #international-relations, #iran, #national-security-council, #peoples-daily, #politics-and-government, #putin-vladimir-v, #raisi-ebrahim, #republican-party, #united-states, #united-states-politics-and-government, #xi-jinping

The Censoring of an Iranian American Artist

How have we forgotten that art needn’t defer to religion?

#art, #censorship, #freedom-of-speech-and-expression, #hamline-university, #iran, #macalester-college, #muslims-and-islam, #st-paul-minn, #taravat-talepasand, #womens-rights

An Iranian Curator on Art’s Power in an Uprising

Nazy Nazhand shares how generational trauma has affected her and the artists with whom she finds community.

#amini-mahsa-2000-22, #art, #demonstrations-protests-and-riots, #iran, #tehran-iran, #womens-rights

Iran Announces Amnesty, but It May Not Spare Many Protesters

While the government said tens of thousands of prisoners were to be freed or get reduced sentences, rights advocates suggested the move was a sham.

#amini-mahsa-2000-22, #amnesties-commutations-and-pardons, #demonstrations-protests-and-riots, #human-rights-and-human-rights-violations, #iran, #khamenei-ali, #political-prisoners, #prisons-and-prisoners

Microsoft alleges attacks on French magazine came from Iranian-backed group

Microsoft alleges attacks on French magazine came from Iranian-backed group

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Microsoft said on Friday that an Iranian nation-state group already sanctioned by the US government was behind an attack last month that targeted the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo and thousands of its readers.

The attack came to light on January 4, when a previously unknown group calling itself Holy Souls took to the Internet to claim it had obtained a Charlie Hebdo database that contained personal information for 230,000 of its customers. The post said the database was available for sale at the price of 20 BTC, or roughly $340,000 at the time. The group also released a sample of the data that included the full names, telephone numbers, and home and email addresses of people who had subscribed to, or purchased merchandise from, the publication. French media confirmed the veracity of the leaked data.

The release of the sample put the customers at risk of online targeting or physical violence by extremist groups, which have retaliated against Charlie Hebdo in recent years for its satirical treatment of matters pertaining to the Muslim religion and Islamic countries such as Iran. The retaliation included the 2015 shooting by two French Muslim terrorists and brothers at Charlie Hebdo offices that killed 12 and injured 11 others. To further gin up attention to the breached data, a flurry of fake personas—one falsely claiming to be a Charlie Hebdo editor—took to social media to discuss and publicize the leak.

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#biz-it, #charlie-hebdo, #emennet-pasargad, #iran

Why Iran’s Missile Program Alarms Its Regional Rivals

A drone attack on a military facility in central Iran, said to be the work of Israel’s intelligence agency, focused renewed attention on Tehran’s advancing missile capabilities.

#defense-and-military-forces, #drones-pilotless-planes, #iran, #isfahan-iran, #missiles-and-missile-defense-systems, #mossad, #nuclear-weapons

Israel Launched Drone Attack on Iranian Facility, Officials Say

While the target’s purpose is unclear, the city of Isfahan is a major center of Iranian missile production, research and development.

#drones-pilotless-planes, #international-relations, #iran, #isfahan-iran, #israel, #missiles-and-missile-defense-systems, #mossad

Arrests, Executions and the Iranian Protesters Who Refuse to Give Up

Who are the people taking to the streets, and why are they willing to risk their lives to confront the regime?

#audio-negative-tragedy, #audio-neutral-informative, #deaths-fatalities, #demonstrations-protests-and-riots, #iran

Iran Executes Alireza Akbari, Ex-Official Accused of Spying

Alireza Akbari, previously a senior military and defense official, had moved to Britain a decade ago. He had been detained since 2019.

#akbari-alireza, #british-secret-intelligence-service, #capital-punishment, #espionage-and-intelligence-services, #international-relations, #iran, #islamic-revolutionary-guards-corps

Iran to use facial recognition to identify women without hijabs

Illustration of woman wearing hijab with gunsights on her

Enlarge (credit: James Marshall/Getty Images)

Last month, a young woman went to work at Sarzamineh Shadi, or Land of Happiness, an indoor amusement park east of Iran’s capital, Tehran. After a photo of her without a hijab circulated on social media, the amusement park was closed, according to multiple accounts in Iranian media. Prosecutors in Tehran have reportedly opened an investigation.

Shuttering a business to force compliance with Iran’s strict laws for women’s dress is a familiar tactic to Shaparak Shajarizadeh. She stopped wearing a hijab in 2017 because she views it as a symbol of government suppression, and recalls restaurant owners, fearful of authorities, pressuring her to cover her head.

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#biz-it, #facial-recognition, #iran, #policy

Iran Executes 2 Men Arrested in Protests

At least nine other protesters remain on death row, accused of crimes ranging from burning a trash can to killing security forces.

#amini-mahsa-2000-22, #basij, #capital-punishment, #demonstrations-protests-and-riots, #iran

Here Are the People Iran Sentenced to Death in Its Protest Crackdown

An updated look at the Iranians marked for execution in the government’s attempt to curb a monthslong uprising.

#capital-punishment, #demonstrations-protests-and-riots, #human-rights-and-human-rights-violations, #iran, #tehran-iran

WhatsApp just made it harder to censor citizens with Internet shutdowns

WhatsApp just made it harder to censor citizens with Internet shutdowns

Enlarge (credit: SOPA Images / Contributor | LightRocket)

To ring in the new year, WhatsApp introduced a new feature to help people circumvent government-imposed Internet shutdowns that the United Nations said last summer work to undermine human rights.

“To help, today we’re launching proxy support for WhatsApp users all over the world,” WhatsApp’s statement said. “What this means is we’re putting the power into people’s hands to maintain access to WhatsApp if their connection is blocked or disrupted.”

WhatsApp’s new proxy support feature enables users to “connect to WhatsApp through servers set up by volunteers and organizations around the world dedicated to helping people communicate freely.” It also allows users to set up their own proxy servers to help others connect to the app. The feature is currently available to all users running the most updated version of the app.

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#end-to-end-encryption, #internet-shutdown, #iran, #meta, #policy, #proxy-servers, #russia, #united-nations, #vpn, #whatsapp

Ukraine Keeps Downing Russian Drones, but Price Tag Is High

When costly missiles take out cheap drones, the real winner over time may be the country that spends less.

#drones-pilotless-planes, #international-relations, #iran, #russia, #russian-invasion-of-ukraine-2022, #ukraine

After Competing Without a Hijab, a Top Iranian Chess Player Won’t Return Home

Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, ranked No. 17 among women in the world, is heading for Spain after forgoing a head scarf at an international championship.

#chess, #iran, #khademalsharieh-sarasadat, #muslim-veiling, #womens-rights

U.S. Scrambles to Stop Iran From Providing Drones for Russia

As the war in Ukraine grinds on, some officials have become convinced that Iran and Russia are building a new alliance of convenience.

#arms-trade, #defense-and-military-forces, #drones-pilotless-planes, #espionage-and-intelligence-services, #iran, #israel, #russia, #russian-invasion-of-ukraine-2022, #ukraine, #united-states-international-relations

Threat of Invasion From Belarus Low, Says Ukraine Spy Chief

In a wide-ranging interview on the state of the war, Kyrylo Budanov also spoke about Russia-Iran relations and Moscow’s obsession with taking the city of Bakhmut.

#bakhmut-ukraine, #espionage-and-intelligence-services, #iran, #kyrylo-budanov, #mercenaries-and-private-military-contractors, #prigozhin-yevgeny-v, #russia, #russian-invasion-of-ukraine-2022, #shoigu-sergei-k, #ukraine, #wagner-group

For Zelensky, a Celebration of Resilience and a Sales Pitch for Support

For all the talk of victory, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks in Washington revealed hints about his worries for the year ahead.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #house-of-representatives, #iran, #israel, #putin-vladimir-v, #russia, #russian-invasion-of-ukraine-2022, #ukraine, #united-states-international-relations, #zelensky-volodymyr

Iran Uses Rape to Enforce Women’s Modesty

America and the West need to show as much strength in opposing this tyrannical regime as these protesters have. 

#human-rights-and-human-rights-violations, #iran, #muslim-veiling, #sex-crimes, #sotoudeh-nasrin

As Protests Rage, Iran Carries Out a Public Execution

Majidreza Rahnavard was hanged after being accused of killing two members of a paramilitary force in the northeastern city of Mashhad.

#amini-mahsa-2000-22, #capital-punishment, #demonstrations-protests-and-riots, #iran

In Hostage Diplomacy, It’s Often the Hostage-Takers Who Pay

Detaining foreigners to wring concessions from their home country’s government holds perils for both sides, but especially, perhaps surprisingly, for the hostage takers.

#bout-viktor, #china, #griner-brittney, #iran, #kidnapping-and-hostages, #meng-wanzhou, #political-prisoners, #rezaian-jason, #russia, #united-states-international-relations

Iran Executes Man Over Nationwide Protests

Mohsen Shekari, 23, had been sentenced to death on accusations of blocking a street in Tehran and attacking a member of the Basij militia during a protest.

#capital-punishment, #demonstrations-protests-and-riots, #iran, #politics-and-government

Strikes Across Iran Lead to Shuttered Shops and Ghost Towns

Activists say it is the next phase in an uprising that began in September, after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police.

#amini-mahsa-2000-22, #deaths-fatalities, #demonstrations-protests-and-riots, #iran, #police-brutality-misconduct-and-shootings, #politics-and-government, #strikes

What to Know About Iran’s Morality Police

A top official suggested over the weekend that the unit, responsible for enforcing the Islamic Republic’s strict dress codes, had been shut down, though there has not been any government confirmation.

#amini-mahsa-2000-22, #demonstrations-protests-and-riots, #dress-codes, #human-rights-and-human-rights-violations, #iran, #muslim-veiling, #womens-rights

Iran Abolishes Morality Police After Months of Protests

The move appeared to be a concession to the protest movement that erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who was being held by the morality police for supposedly violating Islamic dress rules.

#amini-mahsa-2000-22, #demonstrations-protests-and-riots, #iran, #muslim-veiling, #police

The Long Odds Facing China’s Protesters

Popular protests are more easily begun than ever before, but they are more likely to dissipate, too.

#china, #communist-party-of-china, #demonstrations-protests-and-riots, #iran, #politics-and-government, #social-media, #xi-jinping

The U.S. Cleared a Big World Cup Hurdle. The Knockout Round Poses Another.

The U.S. victory over Iran sent it to the round of 16, with a match against the Netherlands on Saturday. The team already has much to be proud of.

#international-federation-of-association-football-fifa, #iran, #soccer, #united-states, #united-states-mens-national-soccer-team, #united-states-soccer-federation, #world-cup-soccer, #world-cup-2022-soccer

Ahead of U.S.-Iran, Tough Questions and Two Teams Feeling the Heat

U.S. Soccer angered Iran by posting a doctored Iranian flag on social media. The American players and their coach said they had nothing to do with it.

#berhalter-gregg, #flags-emblems-and-insignia, #iran, #soccer, #social-media, #united-states, #united-states-soccer-federation, #world-cup-soccer, #zimmerman-walker-1993

U.S. Crypto Exchange Kraken Settles With Treasury Dept.

The crypto exchange, which had been under investigation for violating U.S. sanctions, agreed to pay $360,000 to settle the allegations.

#computers-and-the-internet, #corporate-social-responsibility, #embargoes-and-sanctions, #iran, #kraken-payward-inc, #powell-jesse-cryptocurrency-executive, #virtual-currency

A U.S.-Iran Soccer Showdown Intensifies With Protests as a Backdrop

The unrest that has gripped Iran for the past two months has heightened what would already have been a tense encounter at the World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday between the two geopolitical foes.

#demonstrations-protests-and-riots, #iran, #national-anthems, #politics-and-government, #qatar, #soccer, #united-states-international-relations, #world-cup-2022-soccer

Iran Calls for U.S. to Be Expelled From World Cup

U.S. Soccer angered Iran by posting a doctored Iran flag on social media. The Americans said the decision was intentional but later deleted the posts.

#flags-emblems-and-insignia, #iran, #united-states, #united-states-soccer-federation, #world-cup-soccer, #world-cup-2022-soccer

Iran’s Football Team Has Already Won

It doesn’t really matter what happens on the pitch.

#demonstrations-protests-and-riots, #iran, #muslim-veiling, #womens-rights, #world-cup-soccer

U.S. Confronts Iran on Protests, Ukraine and Nuclear Enrichment

The Biden administration has imposed new sanctions on Tehran and expressed support for protesters, as the Iranian government aids Russia in the Ukraine war and continues nuclear enrichment.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #embargoes-and-sanctions, #fordow-iran, #international-atomic-energy-agency, #international-relations, #iran, #khamenei-ali, #kurdistan, #netanyahu-benjamin, #nuclear-weapons, #russia, #russian-invasion-of-ukraine-2022, #ukraine, #united-states-international-relations, #uranium

How Iran’s Security Forces Use Ambulances to Suppress Protests

Witness accounts and video analysis reveal how the state is co-opting ambulances to infiltrate demonstrations and detain protesters.

#ambulances, #demonstrations-protests-and-riots, #human-rights-and-human-rights-violations, #iran, #tehran-iran