Freedom of the press: Information offer on COVID-19 for Iran

Information, facts, clarification - the need for concrete and reliable answers with respect to the corona pandemic is enormous. Together with other media, DW is providing people in Iran without free access to information on the Internet with a website containing information on the novel coronavirus. The website is currently available in Farsi and is intended to provide comprehensive information to Iran, which has been particularly affected by COVID-19. In addition to news from DW, articles from Radio Zamadeh and Radio Farda can also be found on the website.

Since 2012, DW has been working with Psiphon, its partner for censorship-bypass technology, to provide information to people in countries with restricted press freedom. Psiphon users in Iran receive COVID-19 related information directly on their screens. The company provides its infrastructure free of charge for the current Corona campaign.

In this way, DW reaches people in important target regions in the current situation. Psiphon is considering extending the information offer to other languages.

"Censorship bypass is a constant cat-and-mouse game. Governments that engage in massive Internet censorship are of course doing everything they can to eliminate such loopholes," says Oliver Linow, DW's IT and cybersecurity manager in charge of censorship bypass.

DW has provided an overviewof how to navigate the Internet safely and anonymously and circumvent censorship.