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Amir Rashidi

@ammir.bsky.social

Security and Internet Access Researcher focusing on Infosec, privacy, cencorship and surveillance

823 Followers  |  317 Following  |  140 Posts  |  Joined: 30.03.2023
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Posts by Amir Rashidi (@ammir.bsky.social)

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UPDATE: Iran Internet shutdown

Continuing to see a small, but steady restoration for Iran as the country rolls out its internet whitelisting system to police connectivity.
#DigitalBlackoutIran #IranianRevolution2026

From our perspective, traffic is at ~25% of pre-shutdown levels (bits/sec).

26.01.2026 14:24 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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IODA's Telescope signal shows signs of sustained, partial recovery since ~7:30 PM Jan 24th. This is the first sign of sustained recovery of Telescope, which measures unsolicited Internet traffic rom Iran to the global Internet since the shutdown began.
ioda.inetintel.cc.gatech.edu/country/IR?f...

26.01.2026 15:12 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

designed for exactly this kind of situation, and it manifests itself in the form of the white SIM card.
7/7

16.01.2026 12:36 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

classes required using a domestic social network.
Not to mention the partial acceptance within segments of civil society of the so-called β€œwhite SIM card,” which again indicates a degree of readiness to accept these conditions. Tiered (class-based) internet is essentially
6/7

16.01.2026 12:36 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

It is important to note that for years the IR has tried to embed these tools into everyday life. For example, for enrollment in some universities, you are required to have a domestic messaging app. Or during the COVID lockdowns, attending
5/7

16.01.2026 12:36 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

At this point, it is worth recalling a trend we observed during internet shutdowns amid the war with Israel: many Iranians migrated to alternative tools and platforms. This shows that under pressure, and in the absence of foreign services, such migration could happen again.
4/7

16.01.2026 12:36 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

3. Social networks: the users of these businesses are also inside Iran, not abroad. The main challenge would be the platform itself. For years, alternative domestic platforms have been built, but they have lacked users largely due to public disinterest.
3/7

16.01.2026 12:36 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

since their user base is entirely inside the country.
2. ISPs will likely move toward the brink of bankruptcy due to the lack of sufficient international traffic. As a result, we would see a sharp increase in the price of domestic traffic to compensate for these losses.
2/7

16.01.2026 12:36 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Let me explain why this could realistically be implemented:

1. A portion of people’s needs are service-based platformsβ€”such as online shopping, ride, and streaming. These services already have domestic customers and would not face major problems,
1/7

16.01.2026 12:36 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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Today Iran, tomorrow the world? @ammir.bsky.social warns #Iran is exporting its internet shutdown technology to other countries

More on #F24Debate ➑️ f24.my/BfuE

15.01.2026 20:56 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Iran Enters a New Age of Digital Isolation - Filterwatch Exclusive intelligence obtained by Filterwatch reveals that the Islamic Republic has abandoned its traditional model of mass internet censorship in favor of a new, far darker strategy: "Absolute Digit...

Irancell’s CEO was dismissed over delays in internet shutdowns. Doran & Yaftar are tasked with developing DPI to detect Starlink-connected VPNs. Mohammad Amin Aghamiri & Mehdi SeifAbadi are key decision-makers.
filter.watch/english/2026...

15.01.2026 21:04 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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Iran has almost completely disconnected itself from the global internet. Just after 16:30 UTC today, traffic volume into the country began plummeting.

The country has been gripped by growing protests in recent days & the Iranian govt has been selectively blocking internet services. #IranProtests

08.01.2026 17:39 β€” πŸ‘ 22    πŸ” 14    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
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Sudden drop in IPv6 traffic to Iran at 11:49 UTC today (Jan-8) as the country's govt continues to selectively block internet access in an effort to staunch a growing protest movement. #IranProtests

08.01.2026 13:53 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 0
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X Update Reveals Digital Authoritarianism in Iran: The β€˜White SIM Card’ Scandal - Filterwatch The Internet Divide: Iran’s Elite Access Uncensored Internet While the Public is Blocked As Iranian officials seek to present the country’s tiered internet policy as β€œPhased Unfiltering” (or β€œstaged u...

Our latest report exposes how Iran’s digital ecosystem has turned into a structured system of discrimination β€” and the recent events on X highlight just how deep this inequality goes.

filter.watch/english/2025...

24.11.2025 17:30 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Iran’s β€˜Stealth Blackout’: A Multi-stakeholder Analysis of the June 2025 Internet Shutdown - Filterwatch Authors: Miaan Group, ASL19, IODA Contributors: Kentik, Cloudflare, OONI, Tor, Lantern, eQualitie, Psiphon Executive Summary The June 2025 Internet shutdown in Iran, carried out during the war with Is...

IODA collaborated with @filter.watch and ASL19 to co-author a report on the 2025 shutdown of the Internet in Iran during the war with Israel. Key contributors included @radar.cloudflare.com @eldomador.bsky.social @ooni.org and more!

Access the report here: filter.watch/english/2025...

02.10.2025 18:11 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Apple alerted Iranians to iPhone spyware attacks, say researchers | TechCrunch Researchers say Apple sent out threat notifications to several Iranians in recent months, saying their iPhones had been hacked. Iran is likely behind the attacks.

NEW: Apple notified several Iranians that they were targets of government spyware in the last year, according to security researchers.

Since 2021, Apple says it has notified people in 150 countries, but we don't always get to know which countries, so this is an interesting data point.

22.07.2025 21:00 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ”This report underscores that digital security is no longer a purely technical concernβ€”it’s a human rights crisis.

22.07.2025 15:15 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ”Major social platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram were primary targets for phishing, impersonation, and account takedowns.
πŸ”Authorities increasingly used cyber tools for social control, seizing accounts for β€œviolations” such as not wearing a hijab or defying Islamic lifestyle norms.

22.07.2025 15:15 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ”Requests for digital security assistance soared:
+720% growth in individual requests
+70% in organizational requests (and +250% in minority and women’s rights sectors)

22.07.2025 15:15 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ”Ethnic minoritiesβ€”particularly in West and East Azerbaijanβ€”saw a fivefold increase in targeted repression.
πŸ”Iranian activists abroad were targeted in countries including the UK, Germany, France, Slovenia, Austria, and Egypt.

22.07.2025 15:15 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ”A surge in cyberattacks, phishing campaigns, and online censorship occurred during and after the 12-day war between Israel and Iran.
Over 46% of digital security cases involved women, many of whom faced detention, torture, and even death sentences.

22.07.2025 15:15 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ”For the first time, three Iranian individuals (two inside #Iran, one in Europe) were targeted by mercenary #spyware similar to #Pegasusβ€”marking a shift from mass surveillance to targeted espionage.

22.07.2025 15:15 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Iran’s digital repression has entered an unprecedented phase.
According to the latest Iran Cyber #ThreatIntelligence Report by The Miaan Group, civil society in and outside Iran is facing a wave of increasingly advanced cyber threats.
miaan.org/wartime-cybe...
Key findings include:

22.07.2025 15:15 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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#Iran is back online as of 05:00 UTC (8:30am local).

Iran Telecom Minister:
With conditions returning to normal, the state of communication access has reverted to its previous state.
x.com/HashemiSatta...

25.06.2025 12:26 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

1/2 Iran imposed sweeping internet restrictions in the first week of Israel’s military offensive. key findings from Filterwatch’s report:
πŸ”»Full internet shutdowns,including blocking SSH ports that helped maintain accessπŸ”»Incoming international traffic blocked a move not even seen in November 2019πŸ‘‡

20.06.2025 10:32 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
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Near-total Internet blackout in #Iran is continuing into a second day.

Iranian govt has confirmed it is intentional:
"In order to prevent the enemy’s misuse, international Internet access has been temporarily restricted."
t.me/khabaronline... (h/t @ammir.bsky.social)

19.06.2025 14:06 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Iran's government says it shut down internet to protect against cyberattacks | TechCrunch The government cited the recent hacks on Bank Sepah and cryptocurrency exchange Nobite as reasons to shut down internet access to virtually all Iranians.

NEW: Iran's government has now admitted it took down the internet in the country, arguing it was to protect against Israeli cyberattacks.

I spoke to two Iranians who live abroad and can't communicate with their loved ones back home.

"I haven’t heard from them in two days," said @ammir.bsky.social.

20.06.2025 16:49 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 3

Following Israel's attack on #Iran, internet access has been disrupted in parts of the country. All #VPN services are disrupted, and access to the internet has become extremely difficult. Incoming traffic is heavily affected, while the NIN is operating without issues.
#KeepItOn

13.06.2025 09:32 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Iranian media says alleged document trove points to Israel-IAEA collusion Iranian state media began releasing images of what it said were documents related to Israel's nuclear program obtained by Tehran and said they demonstrated collusion between the United Nations nuclear...

My technical analysis of the documents #Iran claims to have obtained by hacking #Israel has been published by Iran International. I had originally shared this analysis publicly on my LinkedIn.
www.iranintl.com/en/202506127...
#CyberSecurity #CyberTradeIntelligence

12.06.2025 22:23 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0