In many countries with state-supervised Internet, social media sites are shut down if protests get too big or too frequent, or when dissent is seen as a threat to the political status quo. Such governments can shut down all Web access as well.
For the nonprofit NetFreedom Pioneers (NFP), this threat in Iran is why they created Toosheh, a free program that lets users download resources via satellite and save them offline for reference. Toosheh means "knapsack". Developed in response to internet censorship and low levels of access in Iran and its surrounding regions, the software allows users to download 8GB of data per day from the world outside using only a computer, a USB drive, and the kind of home TV satellite setup that's common throughout Iran. Thanks to the work of numerous nonprofit organizations, the packages have also been delivering carefully prepared and translated resources for promoting the rights and well-being of women and LGBTQIA individuals in Iran.
NFP is looking for online volunteers to be translators, organizers and social media-sharers, to help however they can with the situation in Iran. As the group explained in a blog post, internet users can immediately help by spreading the word about Toosheh, especially with their friends, family, and networks who may have loved ones in Iran. If an internet shutdown happens before an Iranian user has downloaded Toosheh, they won't be able to receive the program's info packages, meaning time is running out to ensure the widest possible access. Political and social organizers can also lend a big hand right now by sending their favorite resources to Toosheh, which is working to provide generalized action and safety guides to Iranian organizers (of any party) on the ground.
"From the monopoly of the state over telecommunication tools to access to online content that often requires bypassing Internet censorship, these systems all fundamentally stifle human rights to access to information and freedom of expression," explained Simin Kargar, Program Manager for the NFP, by email in an interview with Forbes.
"Added to this is the fact that women and sexual minorities simultaneously struggle with other social, cultural and technological barriers to access the type of information that resonates with them and corresponds to their particular needs."
For example, Kargar said, "Information about sexual health, reproductive rights and gender issues may not be as easily accessible in Iran as it is elsewhere because such content not only faces censorship from the state but also does it cross over certain social and cultural taboos."
"Therefore, it is paramount to offer innovative tools to women and marginalized groups through which they can overcome some of these barriers, and to equip them with materials to make informed decisions for their personal, professional and collective lives," she continued.
There is also an article about Toosheh in the Huffington Post: Satellite Filecasting Allows Uncensored Information To Filter Into Iran