Are Google “doodles” sanctioned?
Google recently created a special “doodle” to mark the 812th birthday of the polymath Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, and attributes him to every country in the Middle East except the one where he actually comes from–Iran. Doodles are commemorative changes in the Google homepage logo that are meant to celebrate an event or individual. In honoring al-Tusi, […]
U.S. Companies Blocking Communication Tools in Iran
With Apple’s vigilante-sanctions-enforcement/racial profiling of Iranian Americans receiving well-deserved attention, we wanted to spotlight similar over-enforcement of broad sanctions by tech companies impacting people inside Iran. Below is a list of services not technically blocked by sanctions but still denied to Iranians by U.S. companies, compiled via researcher Collin Anderson who maintains and updates the […]
Tell Google: Stop playing Persian Gulf name games!
If you have visited Google Maps recently, you may have noticed that Google has removed the title of the Persian Gulf—leaving the body of water without a name. This follows Google’s 2008 decision to include the historically inaccurate and politically charged name “Arabian Gulf” alongside “Persian Gulf” in their Google Earth application. The name “Persian Gulf” is historically accurate, legally acknowledged, apolitical […]
Obama Norooz promise a good step, more needed to ensure U.S. not part of “Electronic Curtain”
Yesterday, President Obama released his Norooz message, which has now become an annual White House tradition marking the Iranian New Year. Thankfully, these messages have actually come with some real substance. In his 2010 message, Obama promised to increase opportunities for young Iranians to study at American universities, and he followed through by implementing a new […]
Left Outside the Circle: Iranians and Google+
The newly launched Google social network service called Google+ has created a major buzz online, but has also sparked many questions (and some answers). Why do we need another social network? What does it have to offer more than Twitter and Facebook? But for Iranians, there is an even bigger question: will I even be allowed […]
What Do Google and Saddam Have in Common?
Google has a funny way of doing business — one that involves muddying politics in the Middle East. In recent months, the organization has taken the unprecedented step to rename internationally recognized bodies of water. Google Earth has begun using the controversial term “Arabian Gulf” to the body of water traditionally and internationally identified as […]