Tightening the net: Internet freedoms in Iran

ARTICLE 19’s ‘Tightening the Net’ series monitors and analyses freedom of expression online in Iran

Internet freedoms are becoming increasingly under attack in Iran. While President Rouhani and his administration have made both political promises and international obligations for greater internet freedoms, their actions are heightening concerns that these will go unfulfilled.

This briefing series monitors the situation of online freedoms in Iran, reporting events and issues such as:

  • arrests and intimidation of online journalists
  • online surveillance and harassment of social media users
  • developments around the National Information Network (NIN): the government’s plan to secure and maintain online content, servers, data, and networks inside Iran
  • Legislative proposals and policies which impact online freedoms
  • blocking, restrictions, and filtering of content and online platforms

We analyse the current climate of internet opening and closings in Iran and propose recommendations to the Iranian government, technology companies, and civil society inline with international law.

Explore the page

Iran’s draconian Internet Bill

ARTICLE 19, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Access Now, along with over 50 other organisations, call on Iranian authorities and those engaged in bilateral dialogue with Iran to pressure the Iranian parliament to rescind the ‘User Protection Bill’.

Read our coalition letter

Read more about the internet bill

Blog: Iran’s ‘Protection Bill’ will hurt the queer community the most
13.04.2022 15 min read

Blog: Iran’s ‘Protection Bill’ will hurt the queer community the most

Click here to go to article
Iran: Parliament moves to ratify central elements of oppressive Internet Bill
22.02.2022 8 min read

Iran: Parliament moves to ratify central elements of oppressive Internet Bill

Click here to go to article
Iran: Cyberspace authorities ‘silently’ usher in draconian internet bill
09.09.2022 8 min read

Iran: Cyberspace authorities ‘silently’ usher in draconian internet bill

Click here to go to article

Digital repression during uprisings

Iranian authorities continue to deploy new tactics to crack down on freedom of expression and access to information as the popular uprising continues across the country.

Read more

More about digital repression during protests

Iran: Justice for Mahsa Jhina Amini
20.09.2022 21 min read

Iran: Justice for Mahsa Jhina Amini

Click here to go to article
Iran: Authorities must release technologists and digital rights defenders
14.10.2022 7 min read

Iran: Authorities must release technologists and digital rights defenders

Click here to go to article
Iran: Bullets, detention and shutdowns: the authorities’ response to protests in Khuzestan
28.07.2021 32 min read

Iran: Bullets, detention and shutdowns: the authorities’ response to protests in Khuzestan

Click here to go to article

Content moderation in Iran’s authoritarian internet environment

ARTICLE 19, Access Now and the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) have come together to make recommendations to Meta and Meta’s Oversight Board in an effort to streamline processes to ensure freedom of expression is protected for users who rely on their platform in Iran, especially during protests. 

Read more

Read more about internet freedoms in Iran

Iran: Meta must protect the Iranian #MeToo movement
29.06.2022 5 min read

Iran: Meta must protect the Iranian #MeToo movement

Click here to go to article
Iran: Bullets, detention and shutdowns: the authorities’ response to protests in Khuzestan
28.07.2021 32 min read

Iran: Bullets, detention and shutdowns: the authorities’ response to protests in Khuzestan

Click here to go to article
Iran: Near total Internet shutdown in Khuzestan as food protests continue
12.05.2022 11 min read

Iran: Near total Internet shutdown in Khuzestan as food protests continue

Click here to go to article