Effective Anti-Censorship is a Partnership Between Technology and People

Internet freedom doesn’t happen through technology alone. It doesn’t happen through goodwill alone. What actually works is the combination of both: continuous technical innovation, and the engagement and participation of the ordinary people for whom it matters most — the people in the censored country, and those in the diaspora. Psiphon learned that lesson during one of the most severe internet shutdowns the world has ever witnessed: the one we just went through in Iran, in early 2026.

When Iranian authorities initiated a near-total internet blackout during the 2025 conflict with Israel, the move disrupted far more than public discourse—it paralyzed digital infrastructure across the country.

Cloud-dependent platforms largely went dark, and from financial transactions to logistics, both businesses and millions of people lost the ability to participate in their digital infrastructure.