Internet shutdowns have become a powerful weapon. Years of digital repression in Iran have intensified during the current conflict with Israel and the U.S.. The Iranian government has once again shut down internet access, isolating millions, silencing dissent, and blocking information about human rights abuses. In January 2026, nationwide blackouts were used to conceal violations and suppress the largest protests since the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising.
This is not unique to Iran. Around the world, governments are pulling the plug to control narratives and crush resistance. But access to the internet is a human right—and people continue to find ways to stay connected.
Join EFF and Amnesty International for a deep dive into the black hole of internet censorship, and learn how journalists, emergency responders, and ordinary people can persist.
Can't Stop the Signal
Thursday, April 16th
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Pacific - Check Local Time
Livestream followed by Q&A
This event is LIVE and FREE!
Accessibility
This event will be live-captioned and recorded. EFF is committed to improving accessibility for our events. If you have any accessibility questions regarding the event, please contact events@eff.org.
Event Expectations
EFF is dedicated to a harassment-free experience for everyone, and all participants are encouraged to view our full Event Expectations.
Upcoming Events
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Recording
We hope you and your friends can join us live! If you can't make it, we’ll post the recording afterward on YouTube and the Internet Archive!
About the Speakers
Jillian C. York
Jillian is EFF's Director for International Freedom of Expression and is based in London. Her work examines state and corporate censorship and its impact on culture and human rights, with a focus on historically marginalized communities. At EFF, she leads coalitions, writes about state and corporate censorship, conducts the Speaking Freely interview series, and contributes to various other areas of the organization's work. Jillian is the author of Silicon Values: The Future of Free Speech Under Surveillance Capitalism (Verso, 2021) and has written for Motherboard, MIT Technology Review, and WIRED, among others. She is a visiting professor at the College of Europe Natolin in Warsaw. She is also a regular speaker at global events.
Paige Collings
Paige is a senior speech and privacy activist at the EFF. As a lawyer, digital policy activist and community organizer, Paige works to dismantle systems of oppression and advance collective liberation. Her work focuses on highlighting how state surveillance and corporate restrictions stifle marginalized communities and perpetuate historic injustices and harm. She has worked with activists across the globe to facilitate systemic change by speaking truth to power and creating spaces for alternative imaginations; and her writing on digital justice has been featured in Wired, Politico, Teen Vogue, the Daily Beast and more. Alongside her work at EFF, Paige is a board member at European Digital Rights (EDRi) and sits on the Advisory Committee for Litigation Grants at the Digital Freedom Fund (DFF).
Elina Castillo Jiménez
Elina Castillo Jiménez is a feminist human rights lawyer working at the intersection of human rights, surveillance, and public policy. She is currently the Advocacy and Policy Advisor at Amnesty Tech’s Security Lab.
Elise Auerbach
Elise Auerbach is a member of Amnesty International USA’s country specialist program. Her area of expertise is on Iran and she also leads the refugee casework committee for Amnesty USA..Elise holds a PhD in Near Eastern Language and Civilizations, University of Chicago. BA from the University of Pennsylvania. She has been a member of Amnesty International since 1987.
