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<aside> ➡️ Examples of Software Development Services: Github, Gitlab, Google Cloud Platform, Digital Ocean
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<aside> 🔷 In January 2021, GitHub announced it had secured a license from the US government to offer its full range of services to developers in Iran, despite broad US sanctions. GitHub had restricted Iranian access in 2019 to comply with sanctions prohibiting business with Iran [4]. However, GitHub advocated that open developer access advanced free speech, securing the license after two years. The company rolled back all restrictions, reinstating full account access for affected Iranian developers.
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<aside> 📌 (UDHR Article 2: Freedom from discrimination; UDHR Article 19: Freedom of Opinion and Access to Information; UDHR Art. 27: Enjoy and share scientific advancement and its benefits)
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Iranian developers’ access to many popular international platforms, such as cloud computing services, data storage, version control services, and teamwork collaboration services, is often limited. There are several reasons for these limitations including: international sanctions, payment restrictions, and geo-blocking. Economic sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States and other countries have a significant impact on access to international software development platforms. Many American and European companies are hesitant to provide services to Iranians due to the risk of violating these sanctions and may block access from Iranian IP addresses to mitigate the risk of potential legal issues. In addition, due to financial sanctions and a high currency exchange rate, Iranian users face challenges with international transactions, which prevent them from using major credit cards, accessing international banks, and, therefore, complicate their access to paid software development services and account creation on many platforms All these may result in developers and start-up companies relying/being forced on using local software development platforms in Iran which may not offer the same range of features, performance, or security as their international counterparts – set aside government control on the local services.
Limited access to software development platforms and services in Iran can negatively affect ordinary Iranians' access to information, freedom of expression, and privacy protection. This limitation results in reduced security and privacy measures, and a diminished ability to express opinions safely. Iranians may resort to insecure workarounds, making them vulnerable to government surveillance or hacking attempts. In addition, the reduced innovation and economic growth in Iran's tech sector can lead to fewer opportunities in projects promoting human rights, citizen journalism, or access to uncensored information.