The article I read for this week discussed the recent election-related Iranian crack-down on Internet sites that are used by protesters to question the recent Iranian election results and to communicate with other protesters. Iran has also blocked access to countless sites, including networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr.
Nonetheless, there is a growing community of Internet users inside Iran and in other countries who are devising ways to get around the government's censorship and to let the world know what is actually happening in Iran. Many users are using Internet proxies, which are "Web servers set up in other countries that allow Iranians to hide their computer's Internet Protocol address from censors within the country." Other users are logging onto to their Internet accounts through Tor, "a free Web page designed to allow users to surf the Web and communicate with each other anonymously." While some protesters in Iran are still able to get around the government censorship, many have seen their online access restricted or shut down, and there has been a decline in information leaving Iran through the Internet. That said, protesters are still fighting to be heard, and they are trying to stay one step ahead of their government so they can relay important information to the world and practice their right to be heard.
I thought this article was so interesting! The whole time I was reading it, I kept thinking of Little Brother. The groups of protesters trying to evade the government censors and fight back through tech-savvy means reminds me so much of Marcus and his story. It is a bit like seeing the novel play out in real life. It worries me, though, that protesters who are caught may face the same horrible consequences some of those people faced in the book. They really are fighting for their freedoms.
Article:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/06/18/iran.dodging.crackdown/index.html
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When I read about the situation in Iran I thought of Little Brother too. While they are getting away with it they seem invincible. If they get caught, who knows what they could face!!
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ReplyDeleteI am glad that you mention The Onion Router (TOR) in your blog and how it is being used by the Iranians. It is a wonderful little piece of technology that Doctorow brings to the attention of his readers in "Little Bother" as well (p. 377). For those of you who are interested in learning more about this technology, please visit: tor.eff.org.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Michael
I blogged about this as well this week. But I have to confess that I was so excited that citizens were able to get information out despite the attempts to block it, that I was not totally absorbing the consequences they are facing and already experiencing. As you said, Jamie, they are (literally) fighting for their freedoms and paying a price.
ReplyDeleteI agree that all of it does sound like Little Brother. Thanks Michael for pointing out The Onion Router. I was never sure what in the book was fiction and what was real. I looked up ParanoidLinux, and apparently people are trying to create it, just like in the book. To see similarities between what happens in the book and what's happening in Iran is truly amazing. I wonder if technology will play an even greater role in the future, when censorship occurs.
ReplyDeleteI thought about Little Brother as well! How real has the book become. It is hard to watch all the footage coming out of Iran but I think it is good for the world to see what is happening, and hopefully learn from it.
ReplyDeleteLittle Brother seems to be a common theme. This fiction book is becoming more real. This week in learning about privacy and different technologies I am getting a better sense of what is really going on in the world. It is scary to know how real that book is. I am glad that there are ways to protect your intellectual freedom, but again like in the book it comes at a cost.
ReplyDeleteHi Jamie,
ReplyDeleteI have been following this story too. It is so interesting to see all this play out and at the same time really sad, that this is going on in todays world. Check out the lastest cover story on Time magazine it is called Iran vs. Iran the photo is awesome and it's great reporting about what's going on the country.
Thanks,
Jennifer