Nano revolution

The world’s attention appears to be captured as the aftermath of the Iranian election escalates. With each protest quenched by the Iranian police, support from the West pours in for those who feel their votes have been disenfranchised.

And though there might be debate on how overblown the election results have become, there is little discussion over the Iranians’ right to assemble.

Though the election’s end result will have important political ramifications, there is also an undercurrent of another kind of revolution taking place. Bloodshed and violence might be a reality of this conflict, but as a result, we are learning how effective nano-communication – the ability to share information quickly and inconspicuously with those around and far away from you – is becoming.

It is true that today’s world is hyper-connected, but in countries such as Iran, where the government tries to keep citizens sheltered from other cultural influences, it can be difficult to exchange ideas over the Web. Iran takes extra measures to monitor the Internet use of its citizens by forcing all traffic through the Telecommunication Company of Iran. This makes it possible for the government to track IP addresses of any poster it deems subversive or dangerous.

Though this does deter the organization of large-scale protests by creating fear in its citizens for the implications of being monitored, it is an ineffective measure against communication that takes place via social networking sites such as Twitter. Because the telecommunications company can only track IP addresses, the government must then request the billing statement from the Internet service provider to find out where the culprit resides. But technologically proficient Iranians have found ways to bypass their government’s measures, using proxy IP addresses and sites, and encryption programs to throw the government off their tracks.

These roadblocks that keep the government from finding the “culprits” are all in an effort to aid the Iranians in the right to assemble in protest against their government. It is an avenue only available because of the rise of nano-communication.

Twitter and YouTube have become the only window through which other citizens of the world may interact with Iran, even resulting in actual symbolism for Iran’s freedom.
The outbreak of support on the Twitter community for the plight of protesting Iranians has been exponential. Users have edited their contact information to “Tehran” to confuse Iranian officials. Profile pictures have suddenly changed from typical avatars to blocks of green, a sign of solidarity for the struggling Iranian people.  

The turmoil in Iran is the first of its kind to occur during this phase of technologically-advanced communication. It shows what kind of role the Internet might play in other situations where there are blatant human rights violations. It proves that, in this day and age, a country cannot hide its misconduct.