PAAIA Hosts Congressional Briefing & Panel on Internet Freedom in Iran
On September 24th, PAAIA in conjunction with Representatives Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Claudia Tenney (R-NY) held a briefing and panel discussion focused on the critical role of Internet Freedom in Iranian civil society and how it can be used to support the human rights and democratic aspirations of the Iranian people. This comes after the congressional briefing held last September discussing how the Woman, Life, Freedom protests have evolved and what the future holds for the people of Iran. Watch the briefing below:
During the event, PAAIA unveiled the findings of its 2024 National Public Opinion Survey of Iranian Americans as it relates to communications and telecommunication tools for the Iranian people. Our three esteemed panelists followed by covering topics such as the Iranian regime’s use of the internet for political repression, the importance of open internet access as a tool for documenting human rights abuses, political organization, and global connection. Pivotally, they discussed the impacts of the Internet Reach and Access Now (IRAN) Act in advancing Internet Freedom in Iran.
Featured Panelists
Simin Kargar
Researcher on Human Rights and Technology at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University Nonresident Fellow at the Digital Forensic Research Lab, Atlantic Council
Eric Novotny
Hurst Professor, Emeritus, The American University Former Senior Advisor, Digital Media and Cyber Security, U.S. Department of State
Ali Tehrani
Director of Operations, Washington D.C. Office, Psiphon (Leading Provider of VPNS to Iran)
Moderator
Patricia Karam
Senior Policy Advisor on Iran, Freedom House
The IRAN Act, introduced by Swalwell and Tenney in the House of Representatives on August 2nd, aims to support internet freedom in Iran — an issue central to combatting the regime’s crackdown on the Woman, Life, Freedom protests. A similar bill, the Iran Internet Freedom Act, was introduced in the Senate on September 18th by Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and James Lankford (R-OK). Both bills seek to address the Islamic Republic’s continued weaponization of the internet by expanding access to VPNs, finding ways to circumvent internet blackouts, and ensuring that sanctions enforcement does not prevent companies from providing Iranians with the necessary tools to access the internet.
The introduction of these bills not only serve as a direct response to the regime’s digital authoritarianism but also stand as a tribute to Mahsa Amini and the countless Iranians who continue to demand justice. As Iran remains one of the world’s lowest-ranked countries for internet freedom, safeguarding digital access for the Iranian people is essential to their fight for fundamental human rights. The internet is a critical tool for information exchange, organizing, and connection to the outside world — making this legislation all the more urgent in the ongoing struggle for freedom in Iran.
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ABOUT PAAIA
The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans is a nonprofit, bipartisan, nonsectarian organization that represents the interests of the Iranian American community before U.S. policymakers, opinion-makers, and the American public at large.
