VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) are the primary way Iranians have been able to stay online. VPNs are a mechanism to connect to the Internet, by tunneling out of their local, censored Internet, through to the global web. While most people in the US don’t need to use VPNs, in Iran, they are a necessity to bypass the IR’s internet censorship and social media bans.

This connectivity initiative is a 3-prong strategy: Funding is directed to (1) on-the-ground VPN service, (2) innovation in VPN capabilities, and (3) innovations in tech infrastructure to circumvent internet shutdowns. The censorship dynamic is a cat-and-mouse game between governments and the people, each innovating to one up the other. This strategy addresses both the urgent needs today to keep Iran online, and offers a roadmap to prevent internet shut-downs in the long term by forging an infrastructural path for Iran's sustainable connectivity in the future.

Iranian Diaspora Collective 501(c)(3) is the media, communications, and marketing partner in this initiative, supporting critical education and awareness on the issue of Connectivity as a Human Right and the role Internet Shutdowns, Throttling, and Censorship, and the lack of free speech and free press in Iran, impact the lives of 84-million Iranians. Net proceeds of the campaign go to Holistic Resilience 501(c)(3) to support their efforts.

This initiative builds upon Jigsaw’s platform and open-source VPN service, Outline, and scales existing VPN services through Holistic Resilience 501(c)(3).

IDC is advised by Yasmin Green (CEO of Jigsaw at Google), Reza Ghazinouri (Security & Privacy Expert), and partnering with a team of Iranian activists in tech, and is fundraising for the provision of VPNs to Iranians on the ground. Net proceeds from the fundraising campaign are going to Holistic Resilience 501(c)(3), to expand VPN access to Iranians on-the-ground and to innovate new approaches to circumventing government blocking.

Iranian Diaspora Collective (“IDC”) 501(c)(3) is a non-partisan, woman-led organization focused on amplifying the voices of Iranian youth in their pursuit of basic human rights and secular democracy — a mission that would not be possible without internet connectivity and social media. IDC is advised by Yasmin Green (CEO of Jigsaw at Google), Reza Ghazinouri, Security & Privacy Expert, and partnering with a team of Iranian activists in tech, including those at Holistic Resilience 501(c)(3), to provide a platform and open source code for decentralized innovation in tech, alongside the building of VPN infrastructure, coding, security, and other technological needs.

The initiative is already running, and tens of thousands of people are using it everyday. Fundraising is to support our efforts to maintain and scale availability of these networks, and innovate the initiative for longer term sustainability. With your support, we will be able to scale the provision of reliable VPNs, and invest in critically needed tech innovations to Keep Iran Online.