Iran to implement National Information Network to keep people off the internet
Iranian authorities are preparing to create a National Information Network (NIN) aiming to restrict internet access.
Nationwide demonstrations in Iran were spurred by the death of Iranian student Mahsa Jina Amini, who died in custody for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. The government responded by placing severe restrictions on the Internet, and as the anniversary of the death of the Iranian student approaches, it is preparing to create a National Information Network (NIN) aiming to keep most of its people off the web.
According to Fereidoon Bashar, CEO of ASL19, a Canadian business that assists Iranians in connecting to the internet through circumvention tools and virtual private networks (VPNs), NIN is designed to control Iran’s information online. The scientific community in Iran will suffer significantly as a result of these actions, further exacerbating an already challenging position brought on by international sanctions.
According to researchers, the creation of NIN poses a threat to free speech, the right to information, and the right to privacy, while also placing a heavy burden on the scientific community, already grappling with international sanctions.