Information Controls Iran’s Presidential Elections

Information Controls: Iran’s Presidential Elections is a collaboration between ASL19 and Psiphon. It evaluates the role and impact of information controls during the Iranian Presidential elections in 2013. This report utilizes a mixed method approach of examining both political events and data from Psiphon3 usage in Iran. The report looks at three periods, before, during, and after the elections to show how, when, and why “Just-in-Time Information Controls” were implemented. Findings in this report show a correlation between significant political events during the elections and the tampering with the flow of information by the authorities. For example, Psiphon3 data shows that deep packet inspection was implemented days before registration of presidential candidates and network throttling started on the day of announcing qualified candidates. Finally, this research documents how information controls affect the online experience of Iranian Internet users.