"We are suffering from complete silence": Internet blackout in Iran continues

Since the U.S. and Israel launched a major military attack on Iran last weekend, the reported death toll in Iran has risen to more than 1,000 people. As we write, the conflict is expanding across the Middle East and Gulf region, and Iran has been plunged into digital darkness, with a near-total internet blackout in effect. Internet shutdowns are a tried-and-tested tactic of the Iranian regime, and now, for the second time this year, people in Iran are finding it impossible to stay connected with loved ones or access lifesaving information, even as the bombs rain down. Read more via Heise

Dig deeper

How journalists are reporting from Iran with no internet

Journalists attempting to report on the ground in Iran are especially impacted, with many having to choose between staying silent or using banned and highly penalized tools such as Starlink to get their stories out — where “the price of getting caught may be death.” Read more via WIRED

Eyes of Iran: How the regime secretly monitors its citizens

Even as Iranians wonder what the future holds, they are being closely watched by the government, thanks in no small part to Russian-made surveillance software. A new investigation by Forbidden Stories and partners reveals that in 2019, Iranian authorities bought FindFace — cutting-edge facial recognition software from NtechLab, a Russian company currently under EU sanctions — via shell companies with ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Read more via Forbidden Stories

Meanwhile, in Russia

As Russia launches criminal probe against Telegram CEO, app's critics come to its defense

Amid their ongoing crackdown on foreign messaging apps and other efforts to control information flows, Russian authorities have launched an investigation into Telegram founder Pavel Durov on alleged terrorism-related charges. While we have criticized Telegram for issues related to content moderation and digital security, “in this case, Russia is definitely trying to suppress freedom of expression and access to information of their own people,” says Access Now’s Natalia Krapiva. Read more via CBC Radio

Russia’s “national messenger” was billed as a platform for the people. It’s dominated by state-run channels

Since last year, Russian authorities have been pushing people to switch from foreign messaging apps to Max messenger, a state-controlled app that exposes them to considerable security and surveillance risks. Unsurprisingly, seven of the ten most-subscribed channels on the platform are reportedly state-aligned media. Read more via Meduza

We’re calling on EU

How the EU is building a dystopian, surveillance-driven, deportation machine

Only days from now on March 9, European parliamentarians will vote on the EU’s Return Regulation, a law that would normalize immigration raids, expand the detention and deportation of migrant people including children, and dramatically increase mass surveillance. In a new op-ed for EU Observer, Access Now’s Caterina Rodelli, and co-authors Stefi Richani and Hope Barker, call this a “defining moment in shaping the kind of society we are building — one of mass surveillance and racialized exclusion, or one rooted in care and community.” Take action: learn more and sign the petition calling on EU policymakers to reject this law and protect human rights. Read more via EU Observer

The EU must break free from Big Tech’s market domination

A new report from Forbrukerrådet, the Norwegian Consumer Council, explores how “enshittification” — the gradual deterioration of online services and related products — has resulted from too few tech companies having too much market power, allowing them to trap in consumers, shut out competitors, and resist regulation. Access Now joined Forbrukerrådet and 20+ other civil society organizations in calling on EU policymakers to address power concentration in digital markets by properly enforcing existing laws to protect people’s rights, rather than undoing decades of progress via deregulation. Read more via Forbrukerrådet

The price of not keeping it on

No signal, no voice: new report documents election-period internet shutdown in Uganda

In January, despite calls to #KeepItOn, Ugandan authorities shut down the internet ahead of general elections, deepening their existing restrictions on free expression and access to information. Now, local digital rights organizations Unwanted Witness and the Women of Uganda Network have published in-depth analysis of how the shutdown was implemented, and the damage it has done to democratic participation, independent media reporting, election observation, digital commerce, and people’s livelihoods. Read more via Unwanted Witness

Opportunities and other highlights

Where to find at Access Now at SXSW

Are you headed to SXSW in Austin, Texas from March 12-18? We hope to see you there! Don’t miss your chance to hear from Co-Executive Director Alejandro Mayoral Baňos on the “snakes” undermining digital rights, learn about how cybersecurity impacts human rights from General Counsel Peter Micek, or if you’re interested in nonprofits, funding, or policy generally, chat with Luis Eduardo Marquez Garrido, RightsCon senior program coordinator and a SXSW mentor. Read more via SXSW

ICYMI: Sign up for our webinar on spear-phishing attacks

As digital attacks against civil society grow more complex, it’s crucial that we come together to share information and support our prevention efforts. Join us on March 10 at 9:00 am ET / 2:00 pm CET for the first installment of our Digital Security Helpline's new Safe and Strong webinar series. Learn how to avoid or mitigate spear-phishing attacks from experts at The Citizen Lab, Lookout, and Access Now. ReGister via Access Now

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