Filterwatch: Iran's Censored Internet

With the Iranian elections over, and President Hassan Rouhani surging to victory once more, we bounce off our last episode and look back at Rouhani and his main competitor Ebrahim Raeisi’s campaigns. Joined by Small Media’s Research Manager James Marchant, we’ll look at the declining role of Twitter in Iranian’s online lives, the changing relationship between conservatives and social media and discuss if we really think Rouhani’s huge mandate will result in greater online freedom. Producer and host: Mo Hoseini Guest: James Marchant Music by Longzijun

Iran’s Presidential Election is fast approaching, but what role does social media and the internet play in it? In this month’s episode we take a look at President Rouhani’s achievements in the ICT sector since he was first elected in 2013, and the role of social media and the internet on Iran’s upcoming elections in May. To discuss these issues, we’re joined by Amir Rashidi, an internet security researcher at the Center for Human Rights in Iran. To discuss these topics I will be joined by Amir Rashidi, an internet security researcher at the Center for Human Rights in Iran. Producer and host: Mo Hoseini Guest: Amir Rashidi Editorial Advisor: James Marchant Music by Longzijun

In this month’s episode we look back on Iran’s National Information Network, provide an overview of its development history, and ask what the implications of the network are for internet freedom in Iran. To discuss SHOMA, we’re joined by Simin Kargar, research fellow at the Berkman Klein Centre for Internet and Society. Producer and host: Mo Hoseini Guest: Simin Kargar Editorial Advisor: James Marchant Music by Longzijun

On this month’s show, we’ll discuss Iran’s recently announced ICT budget. We’ll also speak to Kaveh Azarhoosh, an internet policy researcher and graduate student at Oxford Internet Institute. Producer and host: Mo Hoseini Guest: Kaveh Azarhoosh Editorial Advisor: James Marchant Music by Longzijun

This month's show is the last episode of the first season of Filterwatch, and Kyle's last episode as host. In about 2 month's will begin season 2, with producer Mo taking over hosting duties. To prepare for the transition, this month's show features a conversation between Kyle and Mo about some broad trends in Iranian politics and Internet policy, including topics such as Iran's national internet, foreign investment in Iran's ICT Market, and Rouhani's chances for reelection. Producer: Mo Hoseini Host: Kyle Bowen Editorial Advisor: James Marchant Music by Longzijun

Last month, the Iranian government announced that phase 1 of its national information network has been completed. But what does that actually mean for internet users in Iran? Will this really lead to Iranians being cut off from the global internet? In today’s show, I’ll put these questions and more to a technology reporter with BBC Persian, who will give us his take on what the future holds for Iran’s national internet. Producer: Mo Hoseini Host: Kyle Bowen Guest: Behrang Tajdin Editorial Advisor: James Marchant Music by Longzijun

This month, we’ll be speaking with the independent researcher Collin Anderson to discuss a breach of the messaging app Telegram that took place earlier this year, which saw hackers expose the phone numbers of more than 15 million Iranian users. Also this month, we’ll highlight some of the latest incidences of app censorship, along with yet another major breach of Iranian users’ data from mobile operator Irancell. Producer: Mo Hoseini Host: Kyle Bowen Guest: Collin Anderson Editorial Advisor: James Marchant Music by Longzijun

Special edition! This month, we take a break from Iranian internet policy to bring you a live report from the Citizen Lab Summer Institute in Toronto. We caught up with Citizen Lab director Ron Deibert, and asked him about the history of the Citizen Lab, his thoughts on censorship, and some of the challenges he faces in his work. Check out the interview below. Producer: Mo Hoseini Host: Kyle Bowen Guest: Ron Deibert Editorial Advisor: James Marchant Music by Longzijun

The recently implemented nuclear deal brought an end to the UN sanctions against Iran. But many US sanctions against the Islamic Republic remain in place. On today’s show, we’ll take about the legacy of sanctions, and how they continue to impact the accessibility of online services in Iran. Producer: Mo Hoseini Host: Kyle Bowen Guest: Rishab Nithyanand Editorial Advisor: James Marchant Music by Longzijun

On this month's show, we’ll talk about a recent report published by Small Media and ICLab which aimed to test whether and by what method certain websites were blocked in Iran. We’ll speak to PhD candidate Abbas Razaghpanah, who led the technical research on the report, about some of the findings and what they mean. Producer: Mo Hoseini Host: Kyle Bowen Guest: Abbas Razaghpanah Editorial Advisor: James Marchant Music by Longzijun

On this month's show, we’ll discuss Iran’s national internet, and how it fits into the country’s broader aims to encourage Iranian users to adopt domestic platforms. We also speak to director of the California International Law center and cyberlaw expert Anupam Chander to get his take on this topic. Music by Longzijun Producer: Mo Hoseini Host: Kyle Bowen Guest: Anupam Chander Editorial Advisor: James Marchant Design: Isabel Beard

In this month’s podcast, we show how Iran’s Cyber Army has been waging a war on journalists and activists. Music by Longzijun Producer: Mo Hoseini Host: Kyle Bowen Guest: Jillian York, Amir Rashidi Editorial Advisor: James Marchant Design: Isabel Beard

On this month's episode, we’ll take a look at Iran’s recently announced ICT budget. Credits Music by Longzijun Producer: Mo Hoseini Host: Kyle Bowen Guest: Amin Sabeti Editorial Advisor: James Marchant Design: Isabel Beard