Post #7: Iran’s Opposition Seeks More Help in Cyberwar With Government

Click here to read The New York Times article, "Iran's Opposition Seeks More Help in Cyberwar with Government," from March 18th, 2010. In Iran, democracy advocates have been celebrating the United States's recent decision to remove sanctions on online services. While these sanctions against online services were initially enforced to restrict the development of nuclear technology, they ended up being used by Tehran to further suppress opposition. Now, Iranian internet users will be able to download new software to defeat the government's blocking of certain websites. Opposition leaders claim that access to the web, social networking sites, and satellite TV are important in bringing people together and keeping them informed. As the Iranian government has finally realized the threat of these tools, they have began efforts to block websites such as Twitter, Yahoo, and Google, as well as news channels like Voice of American TV and BBC Persian. The government has arrested many "cyberexperts" recently, accusing many of "waging war against God" and has set aside a $500 million budget for cyberwarfare. Iran is currently dependent on foreign corporations for broadcasting, and many companies have been hesitant to make deals due to Iran's violation of international regulations. While the lifting of these sanctions improve the situation of activists, many still believe that more change needs to come in the future. According to Mr. Khonini, a visitor at Stanford, "this is about democracy and the fact that when people have access to information, they can make wise choices. No one, even the current leaders of the opposition, can hijack the movement like the way the Islamists did in the 1979 revolution if people can have access to free information." This article is important because it has to do with the legitimacy, transparency, and freedoms granted by the Iranian government, as well as its international standing.

Click here for the image from herzogbr of flickr!

"Grade this post"