ACCESS TO INFORMATION

Digital censorship affects two-thirds of internet users worldwide and internet shutdowns are on the rise. In Iran, the censorship apparatus has evolved over the past 10 years, from reactive filtering of Facebook and Twitter after the Green Movement protests in 2009 to the institutionalization of information controls through legislations, policy-making, and the push for the “National Information Network.”

As the world increasingly relies on the internet and digital technologies, the Iranian authorities have grown increasingly powerful in restricting people’s access to information, impeding secure communication, and stifling freedom of expression online. These restrictions often pose disproportionate threats on communities that were already the most vulnerable to systemic oppression.

With over 10 years of experience analyzing and countering Iran’s information control operations, ASL19 works closely with users, civil society organizations, and technology partners to co-create solutions that help people exercise their rights. We prioritize collaborations and partnership-building in our process of designing, developing, and delivering censorship circumvention projects.

Our app store, Paskoocheh helps users inside Iran easily download VPNs and access digital security and privacy enhancing tools and offers an active user-developer feedback loop through the Paskoocheh help desk. Our BeePass VPN, powered by Google Jigsaw’s Outline technology, helps people in Iran circumvent online censorship.