An Internet Rights Meeting in Iran, and the Officials Who Were Absent

What happened

The meeting was meant to bring experts, civil society, businesses, and officials together to discuss internet restrictions in Iran. Most invited officials did not come. I mostly listened. With few people there to hear concerns or answer questions, speaking did not seem useful.

Conceptual illustration. Event photographs below are from Zoomit’s report.

The officials were absent

Karzar had collected hundreds of thousands of signatures against shutdowns and tiered access. People at the meeting described the effects on businesses, schools, hospitals, families, and everyday work. But with most policy makers absent, there was no one to answer their questions.

“Professional” access

Some argue that businesses or technical teams need international access during a crisis. That may be true for some work, but it should not mean cutting everyone else off or making a temporary workaround permanent. If access depends on someone’s job, connections, or money, the internet becomes a privilege. Any exception needs clear rules and an end date.

Security still needs an explanation

Security matters during war and cyberattacks, and reliable local services can help. Still, when access is restricted, people deserve to know why, who is affected, and how long it will last. Shutdowns create other problems too: missed updates, unreliable workarounds, and harder access to news and work tools. Local services are useful, but they should not be the only option.

Why I stayed silent

I could have talked about programming tools, hosting, documentation, and payments that stop working when access is restricted. But the simpler question was: why were the people who could answer for these decisions not there?

I stayed, listened, and wrote this note so there would be a record of the meeting and the officials who were missing.

What needs to change

publish the legal basis, scope, and duration of restrictions;
put responsible officials in the room to answer specific questions;
protect healthcare, education, work, family, and emergency access;
measure availability independently;
explain exceptional access and prevent a permanent class system;
publish restoration and remediation plans.

If decisions about internet access are going to be discussed, the officials responsible should be there to answer questions.

An Internet Rights Meeting in Iran, and the Officials Who Were Absent

What happened

The officials were absent

“Professional” access

Security still needs an explanation

Why I stayed silent

What needs to change

Sources and context

Recent notes

Two Personal Projects in Progress: Money Management and Nexa

The Bill Arrives Later: The Human Cost of Internet Shutdowns in Iran