Iranian National Information Network

Abstract

Iranian protests in the new millennium have depended on the Internet for organization and communication. Additionally, exiled Iranians have used the Internet to distribute material to both worldwide audiences and the internal population of Iran. The Iranian government views digital communications and the Internet as powerful tools, but is also aware of the danger they pose to their authority. The Iranian government has undertaken a massive project named the National Information Network (NIN) to provide better connectivity to their populace and to better control communication--both inside and leaving Iran. This paper will discuss the history of telecommunications in Iranian protests, common techniques for censorship of the Internet, previous government attempts at controlling communications, a background on the NIN, and its capabilities to block protestor communications. Finally, it conclude that the NIN will make dissident communications more difficult, but will ultimately be unable to effectively stop protest organizing due to workarounds.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2019
Accession Number
AD1107324

Entities

People

  • Sean A. Williams

Organizations

  • Air Command and Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Anonymous Communications
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Commerce
  • Communication Systems
  • Computer Networks
  • Computers
  • Digital Communications
  • Digital Media
  • Electronic Mail
  • Governments
  • Internet
  • Mobile Phones
  • Network Protocols
  • Social Media
  • Social Networking Services
  • Text Messaging
  • Transport Protocols

Readers

  • Agent-Based Social Robotics and Mobile-Assisted Learning in Virtual Environments.
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.
  • Tactical Satellite Communications Systems Engineering.