Iranians are managing to get online during the current war with the US and Israel despite drastic censorship and frequent blackouts, throwing the spotlight on to providers of tools such as VPNs (virtual private networks).
AFP asked Adam Fisk, head of US-based nonprofit Lantern, which offers an advanced VPN, how his technology and similar apps can get around such heavy-handed blocking.
k9am"F6DE:@?i w@H 5@6D xC2?VD :?E6C?6E 3=@4<:?8 H@C<nk^9am
kAmp?DH6Ci x? 86?6C2=[ 46?D@C:?8 4@F?EC:6D 3=@4< EC277:4 FD:?8 s}$ Ws@>2:? }2>6 $JDE6>[ H9:49 EC2?D=2E6D 36EH66? 9F>2?\ 2?5 >249:?6\C62523=6 ?2>6D 7@C H63D:E6D 2?5 @E96C C6D@FC46DX[ $}x WD6CG6C ?2>6 :56?E:7:42E:@?X[ x!\32D65 3=@4<:?8 W@7 DA64:7:4 :?E6C?6E 255C6DD6DX 2?5 @E96C 7@C>D @7 s66A !24<6E x?DA64E:@? WAC@3:?8 E96 4@?E6?E @7 52E2 D6?E @G6C E96 :?E6C?6EX]k^Am
kAmxC2? FD6D 2== @7 E9@D6[ 2?5 :E :D 86?6C2==J >F49 >@C6 288C6DD:G6 E92? @E96C 4@F?EC:6D :? E2C86E:?8 E96 6?E:C6 x! C2?86D @7 D6CG:46 AC@G:56CD E92E '!}D EJA:42==J FD6]k^Am
kAmxC2? :D 2=D@ F?:BF6=J 288C6DD:G6 :? D9FEE:?8 5@H? 2== :?E6C?2E:@?2= 4@??64E:G:EJ :? E:>6D @7 4C:D:D] x? E9@D6 42D6D[ EC277:4 :D AC:>2C:=J =:>:E65 E@ E96 5@>6DE:4 :?E6C?6E[ @C }x} W}2E:@?2= x?7@C>2E:@? }6EH@C<X]k^Am
k9am"i w@H 5@ E@@=D =:<6 {2?E6C? 86E 2C@F?5 E96 3=@4<:?8nk^9am
kAmpi {2?E6C? 2?5 !D:A9@? W2 D:>:=2C E@@= >256 3J 2 r2?25:2? 4@>A2?JX D92C6 E96 D2>6 86?6C2= 2AAC@2496D 3FE FD6 5:776C6?E AC@E@4@=D 2?5 4@5632D6D]k^Am
kAmp A@H6C7F= 2AAC@249 :D 9:5:?8 :? 4@>>@? 7@C>D @7 EC277:4[ DF49 2D %{$ W%C2?DA@CE {2J6C $64FC:EJ[ FD65 E@ AC@E64E 2AA=:42E:@?D =:<6 H63 3C@HD:?8[ 6>2:=[ :?DE2?E >6DD28:?8 2?5 G@:46 42==DX @C s}$]k^Am
kAm%96 255:E:@?2= EC277:4 7C@> {2?E6C? @C @E96C E@@=D 364@>6D 2 DF3D6E @7 2 >F49 =2C86C H9@=6] x7 5@?6 42C67F==J[ :E 42? 36 92C5 E@ 5:DE:?8F:D9 7C@> @C5:?2CJ H63 EC277:4]k^Am
kAm%96C6 :D 567:?:E6=J 2 42E\2?5\>@FD6 6=6>6?E E@ E96 C6=2E:@?D9:A] {2?E6C? 2?5 @E96C E@@=D 2C6 4@?DE2?E=J 5:D4@G6C:?8 ?6H 2AAC@2496D @C GF=?6C23:=:E:6D[ H9:=6 46?D@CD DF49 2D xC2? 5:D4@G6C ?6H H2JD E@ D9FE E96> 5@H?]k^Am
k9am"i w@H 5@ A6@A=6 :?D:56 4@F?EC:6D =:<6 xC2? 86E D@7EH2C6 E@ 4:C4F>G6?E 3=@4<:?8nk^9am
kAmpi (96? E96C6 :D :?E6C?2E:@?2= :?E6C?6E 4@??64E:G:EJ[ A6@A=6 86E {2?E6C? 7C@> D:E6D E92E 46?D@CD 2C6 F?H:==:?8 E@ 3=@4< 5F6 E@ E96 64@?@>:4 4@?D6BF6?46D DF49 2D WD@7EH2C6 56G6=@A>6?E A=2E7@C>X v:EwF3]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 :?E6C?6E D9FE5@H?D[ 9@H6G6C[ A6@A=6 C6=J @? E96:C 6I:DE:?8 4@A:6D @7 {2?E6C? 2?5 @E96C E@@=D[ @C E96J 42? 86E ?6H FA52E6D E9C@F89 D6CG:46D =:<6 WD2E6==:E6 3C@2542DE DJDE6>X %@@D969 @C @E96C FD6CD H9@ 92G6 $E2C=:?<[ 7@C 6I2>A=6]k^Am
kAmxC2? :D 86?6C2==J 2 G6CJ E649\D2GGJ 4@F?ECJ[ 2?5 >2?J A6@A=6 4@?DE2?E=J 92G6 >F=E:A=6 4:C4F>G6?E:@? 2AAD @? E96:C A9@?6D]k^Am
k9am"i r@F=5 xC2?VD 924<6CD 8=62? 52E2 23@FE FD6CD 7C@> J@FC DJDE6>Dnk^9am
kAmpi (6 5@?VE DE@C6 2?J A6CD@?2==J :56?E:7:23=6 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE FD6CD 2E 2==[ 2?5 {2?E6C? F?56C8@6D C68F=2C D64FC:EJ 2F5:ED]Â k^Am
kAm(6 2C6 2=D@ 86?6C2==J DEC@?8 D64FC:EJ 6?8:?66CD 2?5 E2<6 42C6 E@ D64FC6 @FC 324<6?5 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 :? 2 G2C:6EJ @7 H2JD]k^Am
k9am"i (96C6 5@ {2?E6C?VD C6D@FC46D 4@>6 7C@> 2?5 42? @C5:?2CJ A6@A=6 96=A @FEnk^9am
kAmpi {2?E6C? :D 2 &$\32D65 ?@?AC@7:E E92E 62C?D C6G6?F6 7C@> {2?E6C? !C@ FD6CD H@C=5H:56 H9@ A2J 7@C 2 36EE6C G6CD:@?] w:DE@C:42==J[ H6 92G6 C646:G65 7F?5:?8 7C@> E96 ~A6? %649?@=@8J uF?5 W2 &$ 8@G6C?>6?E\7F?565 }v~ E92E 42>A2:8?D 7@C :?E6C?6E 7C665@>X[ E96 &$ $E2E6 s6A2CE>6?E 2?5 AC:G2E6 A9:=2?E9C@A:DED]k^Am
kAm(6 2=D@ 92G6 &?3@F?565[ H96C6 2?J@?6 42? 364@>6 2 AC@IJ W2 Q3C:586Q 36EH66? A6@A=6 :? 46?D@C65 4@F?EC:6D 2?5 {2?E6C?VD ?6EH@C<X H:E9 E96 4=:4< @7 2 3FEE@?]k^Am
kAm%9:D H:== FD6 J@FC 32?5H:5E9 E@ D@>6 568C66 3FE H@?VE 92G6 2 D:8?:7:42?E :>A24E @? E96 A6C7@C>2?46 @7 J@FC >249:?6] !6@A=6 42? CF? :E 7@C 9@H6G6C =@?8 E96J H2?E]k^Am
k9am"i (96C6 6=D6 :D {2?E6C? H:56=J FD65 2?5 :D 56>2?5 8C@H:?8nk^9am
kAmpi x? 86?6C2=[ H6 92G6 D66? 46?D@CD9:A 8C@H:?8 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5 7@C >2?J J62CD[ H:E9 {2?E6C? FD286 8C@H:?8 244@C5:?8=J E@ 2C@F?5 EH@ >:==:@? 8=@32==J]k^Am
kAm(6 92G6 2 D:8?:7:42?E ?F>36C @7 FD6CD :? #FDD:2[ |J2?>2C 2?5 E96 &pt]k^Am
kAmuC@> xC2? 2E E96 >@>6?E[ E96C6VD G6CJ =:EE=6 EC277:4 86EE:?8 E9C@F89[ G6CJ =:EE=6 EC277:4 :? 86?6C2= 2A2CE 7C@> H92EVD @? E96 }x}]k^Am
kAmE83^;I3k^Am