Boud1d ago

@aral @ZekuZelalem As Fedizens with a lot of reach, you might want to boost this petition by Iranians to #OpenTheIranianInternet :

[1] https://www.daadkhast.org/en/petition/6360

Signatures seem to appear within about an hour after (my guess) manual checking.

You can ask Iranian Fedizens if they have a better idea:

@MirSobhan @Mehrad @masoud @prma @prbzrg

Help Restore Internet Access in Iran, Be the Voice of the Iranian People

Raise your voice, write a petition. Every person is welcome to submit a petition on any subject.

Show threadPerma1d ago

@boud @aral @ZekuZelalem @MirSobhan @Mehrad @masoud @prbzrg I appreciate the intentions. But I’m not sure I can see how this petition can do anything.

1. Islamic republic will not be convinced by this because it is the exact kind of behavior they want to stop by disconnecting the internet. (1/7)

Show threadPerma1d ago
2. There has been a lot of investigation into the way that Islamic republic has been censoring the internet over the past ten years. The Citizen lab and Netblocks has been really active in doing so. There is no lack of information about it. (2/7)
@boud @aral @ZekuZelalem @MirSobhan @Mehrad @masoud @prbzrg
Show threadPerma1d ago
3. Long-term the only diplomatic tool that other countries have ever had was sanctions. (3/7)
@boud @aral @ZekuZelalem @MirSobhan @Mehrad @masoud @prbzrg
Show threadPerma1d ago
And that just made us more and more poor while the same people that are aimed by those sanctions never got really affected, because they has the power and resources to circumvent those measures, while the people in Iran paid the actual cost. (4/7)
@boud @aral @ZekuZelalem @MirSobhan @Mehrad @masoud @prbzrg
Show threadPerma1d ago
4. Non-theatrical political actions come with real prices for west. Just look at how closing the strait of Hormoz is reflected in European news: only caring about the oil prices, people of Iran be damned. (5/7)
@boud @aral @ZekuZelalem @MirSobhan @Mehrad @masoud @prbzrg
Show threadPerma1d ago
Hardly any political figure will take a hardline approach when their next election period is closing by and Islamic republic’s loyalist have already invaded highly-visible publications like New York Times. (6/7)
@boud @aral @ZekuZelalem @MirSobhan @Mehrad @masoud @prbzrg
Show threadPerma1d ago
So what is the mechanism that we should hope this petition have in causing any effective good for the people of Iran? (7/7)
@boud @aral @ZekuZelalem @MirSobhan @Mehrad @masoud @prbzrg
Show threadPerma1d ago
@boud @aral @ZekuZelalem @MirSobhan @Mehrad @masoud @prbzrg I have to appologize. I just only now noticed that I have mentioned everyone!
Show threadMisano
@prma np
Apr 11 at 3:53pmWeb
Show threadMasoud Abkenar1d ago

@MirSobhan @prma @boud

I really appreciate such efforts, but in the absence of any formal direct-democracy mechanism in Iran or even in the absence of the rule of law, I do not think this is a very effective form of activism.

Show threadMasoud Abkenar1d ago

@MirSobhan @prma @boud

Let's also not forget that another reason for Internet blackout can be to prevent major cyber attacks or to prevent pinpointing population movements by the foreign aggressor forces. I assume they have access to the traffic from all major US Internet services..

Show threadBoud1d ago

3/3 @masoud
"... another reason ..."

Are you only giving an *explanation* here?

Or are you *also* presenting your opinion opposing a broad Fediverse/cyberspace call to #OpenTheIranianInternet , on the grounds that the internet blockade is (partially) protecting Iranian citizens?

It wasn't for me to decide that Iranians were right or wrong to call for the US/IL attack against the IRI, and it's not my right to oppose Iranians who want to keep the Internet blockade.

@MirSobhan @prma @Mehrad

Show threadMasoud Abkenar1d ago

@boud

I was mainly trying to explain that we may be dealing with two distinct layers of Internet blackout. If I am right, then we should address these two layers differently.

In the short run (during war and intense phases of cyber war from the most powerful cyber gangsters in the world) the IRI blocks the Internet to protect its existence and we the citizens can do little about it.

In the long run and in the absence of (cyber)war, we have to pressure IRI to open up the Internet, which I guess that campaign was about. Being the victim of Internet censorship myself, I fully support anything that can help with this.

@MirSobhan @prma @Mehrad

Show threadBoud1d ago

@masoud

Thanks for the clarification. I understand the petition as being primarily (urgently) for the first layer, but also aiming at the second layer in the longer term.

@MirSobhan @prma @Mehrad