Mahsa Alimardani is an Iranian-Canadian Internet researcher. Her focus is on the intersection of technology and human rights, especially as it pertains to freedom of expression and access to information inside Iran. She holds a Honours Bachelor of Arts and Science in Political Science from the University of Toronto, and is completing her Masters degree in New Media and Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam.
Latest posts by Mahsa Alimardani
6 October 2014
#FreeSaeed: An Iranian Web Developer's Sixth Year in Prison
Saeed Malekpour was originally sentenced to death as a "corrupter of the earth" for his open source software that others used to download pornographic images.
1 October 2014
Cute Cat Theory in Action: Despite Drought, Iranian Users Take the Ice Bucket Challenge
Are Iranians really more consumed by Facebook likes and online attention than they are with tangible problems within their own country? If so, they're not alone.
16 September 2014
Nearly 70% of Young Iranians Use Illegal Internet Circumvention Tools
According to Iran’s list of Computer Crimes, the distribution of both circumvention technology and instructions to use such tools are both illegal. Violating these laws can result in severe punishment.
9 September 2014
The Iranian Government is Blocking Unregistered News Sites
Iranian news sites that do comply with registration requirements will receive a government subsidy.
22 August 2014
Iranian Minister Says Government ‘Never Promised’ to End Web Censorship
ICT Minister Vaezi's words contradict President Hassan Rouhani's pledge to lift bans on popular social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
16 August 2014
Iran Vows to Block All “Unlicensed” Websites
On the day to recognize journalists, Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance announced that all news websites must henceforth obtain a state license -- or face automatic censorship.
12 August 2014
Iran's Internet Users Outsmart Government in Cat-and-Mouse Censorship Game
The Iranian government periodically releases new filtering rules intended to block Tor traffic, to which the Tor community typically responds with a same-day antidote for the block.
21 July 2014
Fear, Love and Iran's Favorite Internet Enemy (it's Facebook)
On July 13, eight young Iranians were dealt long prison sentences for their activities on Facebook. Activists both in and outside the country know little more about the case.
19 June 2014
Iran's Internet Under Hassan Rouhani: Hope and Disillusionment as Narenji Bloggers Face Prison Sentence
What explains the recent moves to tighten controls within Iran’s cyberspace alongside Rouhani’s liberal Internet ethos? Mahsa Alimardani and Fred Petrossian explain in this exclusive #longread for GVA.
17 March 2014
The Iran Expert May Not Exist, But the Persian Blogosphere Does
Understanding the Internet in Iran isn’t easy. A new study illuminates trends in the Persian blogosphere since 2008, providing a helpful tool in understanding broader social shifts both on and offline.
Bloggers Jailed in Ethiopia
Ten men and women - four of them Global Voices authors - face terrorism charges for their work as bloggers.
Learn more about their case at the Trial Tracker blog »
