SUBJECT LINE: Digital Iran Reloaded: Iranian Gamer Mitigation Tactics of IRI Information Controls– Monthly Report – July 2024
About the project
My research aims to show the types of censorship circumvention techniques Iranian gamers use and thereafter clarify the gaps between the internet freedom community and commonly used censorship circumvention tools in the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). To do so, I will interview Iranian gamers to contextualize their circumvention strategies with VPNs commonly supported and created within the internet freedom community by testing these varied circumvention techniques.
Additionally, I will cross-analyze my findings with the IRI’s internet tiering system that consequently segregates users based on status, ultimately determining each citizen’s level of internet access. Through this lens, I will study internet connectivity and how the National Information Network under the Supreme Council of Cyberspace of Iran enforces tiering to mitigate user access and acts of protest.
The main goal is therefore to produce a solution for better assisting high-risk internet users in Iran, while also highlighting issues of internet access implemented by the IRI. Another broader impact includes providing valuable information to the circumvention tools developer community and internet policy makers, at a global level.
PUBLIC
Activities during June 2024
- Continued semi-structured interviews on sensitive subject matter directly regarding the IRI’s suppression methods. Like the initial interview process, I have continued to gather insights regarding VPNs and DNS use.
- I applied to present at the Global Gathering on June 30, and await the results.
- I submitted a short essay for publication on July 5 that went straight to editing (already accepted concept).
- I disseminated the Digital Iran survey on July 17 on Twitter and LinkedIn. I am looking for others in the internet freedom community to circulate it.
- I am in contact with a few individuals in the internet freedom community.
- Psiphon has limited information about users and their activities, apart from aggregated network data. Psiphon offered to disseminate the Digital Iran survey as a small-scale implementation at no cost. A larger implementation may cost. They also said that there may be 500-1000 responses. I am waiting to hear more details from Psiphon regarding when the dissemination process will take place, and what else this may require.
- WireGuard has offered to make additional introductions within the internet freedom community. One individual has offered to share some data from their research. I requested the dissemination of the Digital Iran survey as the data may also benefit WireGuard and another fellow working with them.
- Lantern may have some data related to censorship. I am waiting to see if they will share this data and disseminate the survey.
- I am waiting for responses from two individual developers, Tor, and ASL19, on testing the VPNs commonly used by gamers.
Activities for next month
Throughout August, I will finish gathering data from users through interviews. I will be gathering data from the survey and aim to start triangulating data by the end of the month or the beginning of September. I will also keep in contact with the people in the internet freedom developer community as it seems there is great potential for collaboration.