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Oliver Linow

@oliverlinow.bsky.social
216 followers 321 following 50 posts

Internet Freedom Specialist at Deutsche Welle (DW)

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Reposted by Oliver Linow
Thorin Klosowski @thorinklosowski.com · 01/10/2026
last year we did a little made up holiday called Opt Out October that was all about taking control of your data across platforms. This year we decided to talk about how many excellent alternatives to the products made by big tech are out there www.eff.org/pages/welcom...
eff.org
Welcome to Opt Out October. Let’s Take Control of Our Data and Our Devices
Big tech companies are hell-bent on taking away our agency and forcing us to use their surveillance-based services, apps, and devices. It’s hard to fight against, and it often feels much easier to giv...
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Oliver Linow @oliverlinow.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Medien, wie die @deutschewelle.dw.com werden in immer mehr Ländern blockiert. VPN's können helfen. Doch was, wenn das Internet abgeschaltet wird? Können Mesh-Netzwerke in Notfällen kurze Nachrichten und Infos zur Zensurumgehung verbreiten – kein Ersatz, aber ein wichtiger Baustein. p.dw.com/p/5HBpX
p.dw.com
Wenn das Internet blockiert ist: Das Mesh-Netz läuft weiter
In vielen Ländern suchen nicht nur Aktivisten nach sicheren Kommunikationswegen jenseits staatlicher Kontrolle. Eine schlichte Funktechnologie könnte hier helfen - und Zensur strukturell aushebeln.
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Doug Madory @eldomador.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Latest chart for traffic to Iran since December 2025. After two shutdowns, traffic levels have not returned to pre-Jan-8 levels, and is unlikely to do so in the foreseeable future. #DigitalBlackOutIran‌
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Doug Madory @eldomador.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Internet service in #Iran is still only partially restored following the biggest internet shutdown in history. We're seeing only about half of the traffic volume we were seeing prior to January 8th, when the first shutdown of 2026 began. #digitalblackoutiran‌
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Oliver Linow @oliverlinow.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Das Internet im Iran ist seit 20 Jahren zensiert. Webseiten ausländischer Medien sind blockiert. Auch wird das Internet zeitweise komplett abgeschaltet, was zu humanitären Schäden führt. Aktuell ist der Shutdown etwas gelockert, aber der Traffic nur auf einem Niveau von 60% von vor dem Shutdown.
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Reposted by Oliver Linow
Ron Deibert @rondeibert.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Überwachungs-Experte: „Es ist heute unglaublich leicht, den Ruf eines Menschen zu zerstören“ www.diepresse.com/28304695/die...
diepresse.com
Überwachungs-Experte: „Es ist heute unglaublich leicht, den Ruf...
Ronald Deibert hat mit seinem Citizen Lab weltweit Überwachungsskandale aufgedeckt. Im Interview erklärt der Kanadier, welche Bedrohung ihn zurzeit mehr beunruhigt als alle anderen zuvor – und...
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Reposted by Oliver Linow
Doug Madory @eldomador.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
🚨Update on the partial restoration of internet in Iran. It has been 24hrs+ since service started coming back in Iran. In that time, traffic levels peaked at 41% of what we saw prior to Jan 8th, which is also below the Jan 27-Feb 28 partial restoration. #DigitalBlackOutIran‌
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Doug Madory @eldomador.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
We're seeing a big uptick in mobile traffic to Iran beginning at 16:40 UTC (8:10pm local)
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Doug Madory @eldomador.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
It's getting better!
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Ron Deibert @rondeibert.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Move Fast and PsyOp Things Leaked Documents Reveal Russian ‘Cognitive Strikes’ Against the West — Including Islamophobic ‘Pig Head’ Attacks in Paris www.occrp.org/en/investiga... via @occrp.org
occrp.org
Leaked Documents Reveal Russian ‘Cognitive Strikes’ Against the West — Including Islamophobic ‘Pig Head’ Attacks in Paris
Leaked chats and documents showcase the Russian presidential administration’s role in false-flag vandalism attacks and election interference campaigns in Europe and beyond.
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Reposted by Oliver Linow
Reporter ohne Grenzen @reporter-ohne-grenzen.de · 21/05/2026
Der türkische DW-Korrespondent Alican Uludağ @alicanuludag.bsky.social wurde freigelassen! Der nächste Verhandlungstermin ist für den 18. September geplant. Uludağ saß drei Monate u.a. wegen angeblicher „Präsidentenbeleidigung“ in Istanbul in Haft.
Zu sehen ist Alican Uludağ + Text: DW-Korrespondent Alican Uludağ aus Gefängnis entlassen
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Oliver Linow @oliverlinow.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
www.dw.com/en/in-iran-i...
dw.com
In Iran, internet access becomes a luxury for the few
Despite the ongoing internet blockade in Iran, access to the so-called "Internet-Pro" is available to select groups for a fee. Access to information and communication are increasingly becoming a luxur...
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Oliver Linow @oliverlinow.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Die Menschen im Iran können seit 66 Tagen das Internet nicht mehr nutzen! Ein Zustand, eine Krise, die man bei den vielen neuen Krisen jeden Tag all zu schnell vergisst.
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Doug Madory @eldomador.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Iran's ongoing internet shutdown has been going for more than 66 days. It's been 117+ days since the Jan 8 blackout first cut off broad internet access — meaning Iranians have had widespread connectivity for just ~6.4% of 2026. #DigitalBlackOutIran‌
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IODA (Internet Outage Detection and Analysis) @ioda.live · 03/03/2026
In addition to the ongoing shutdown of the Internet in Iran, IODA sees evidence of damage to critical Internet or power infrastructure through simultaneous drops in Routing Announcements across various networks. For example, at ~6:00 PM local time today we see 5 networks show simultaneous drops.
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Oliver Linow @oliverlinow.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
People in #Iran continue to suffer from the effects of an internet shutdown. According to @ioda.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy, BGP is still active, a sign that some people with so called whitelisted SIM cards can still use the internet. This allows the mullah regime to continue sending X messages.
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Reposted by Oliver Linow
Patrick Boehler @pboehler.net · 28/02/2026
Freedom.gov in an earlier version: web.archive.org/web/20051130...
freedom.gov
Freedom
Something big is coming
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Reposted by Oliver Linow
Doug Madory @eldomador.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
Internet connectivity down in Iran as airstrikes hit the country. Traffic volume dropped at 07:06 UTC and then again at 11:47 UTC with minimal connectivity remaining. The country had a partial restoration since Jan-27 following a complete shutdown in Jan-8.
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Oliver Linow @oliverlinow.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
Unfortunately, people in #Iran are familiar with internet shutdowns. In the current state of emergency, this is tragic because people can no longer obtain news or communicate with their loved ones. The shutdown began at the same time as the air strikes at around 7 UTC, according to data from IODA.
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Oliver Linow @oliverlinow.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
Along with the air strikes on #Iran, the internet in the country is also severely restricted or completely inaccessible. This means that people in Iran have limited access to information about what is happening. Data is public from @ioda.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
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Reposted by Oliver Linow
Doug Madory @eldomador.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
Internet in Iran continues to be limited following a partial restoration. Since Jan-27, we're seeing traffic volumes at 58% of what they were prior to the Jan-8 shutdown. During the day, traffic curves appear erratic, indicating disconnections. #DigitalBlackoutIran #IranRevolution2026
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Reposted by Oliver Linow
Doug Madory @eldomador.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Iran's shutdown is now 15 days and counting. Small amounts of service have been restored in recent days. #DigitalBlackoutIran #IranRevoIution2026 State telecom TIC (A49666) re-established many of its lost connections with outside providers, such as GBI (AS200612) at 22:02 UTC on Jan-22.
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Doug Madory @eldomador.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
Internet of Iran continues to experience temporary partial restorations of service before reverting back to a shutdown for everyone but a few privileged individuals. #DigitalBlackoutlran #IranRevolution2026
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Electronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 08/01/2026
Amazon’s Ring doorbell camera system won the “Worst in Show” for privacy at #CES2026 for “doubling down on privacy invasion and supporting the misconception that more surveillance always makes us safer,” EFF’s Cindy Cohn told @apnews.com.
apnews.com
'Worst in Show' CES products include AI refrigerators, AI companions and AI doorbells
Artificial intelligence took center stage at this year's CES gadget show, but not always for the right reasons.
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Doug Madory @eldomador.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Sudden drop in IPv6 traffic to Iran at 11:49 UTC today (Jan-8) as the country's govt continues to selectively block internet access in an effort to staunch a growing protest movement. #IranProtests
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Doug Madory @eldomador.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Thrilled to share my latest article: "Keeping Syria connected during civil war." A compelling, years-in-the-making story of "Mahmoud," a Syria Telecom network engineer who was on the front lines of the conflict—literally—to keep the country's internet running. syriauntold.com/2025/12/27/k...
syriauntold.com
Keeping Syria connected during war | SyriaUntold | حكاية ما انحكت
A Syria Telecom engineer's account told his story during the war; what was behind internet shut downs? And what happened during students’ exams?
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Falk Steiner @fsteiner.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
Kommentierte für die Deutschlandfunk-Sender (nicht nur) die Debatte um #Klarnamenpflicht in Folge der Forderung von Andreas Voßkuhle. www.deutschlandfunk.de/kommentar-de...
deutschlandfunk.de
Kommentar - Debatte über Klarnamenpflicht: Auf demokratischer Strohhalmsuche
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Mujtaba Rahman @mijrahman.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
This is the first time Macron has retaliated so angrily against the provocations of his alleged "friend" Donald Trump. The policy of appeasement and flattery is breaking down.
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Marietje Schaake @marietjeschaake.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
In a major escalation against the EU, alongside civil society representatives the Trump Administration sanctions former Commissioner Breton for work he did in official capacity ↘️ www.state.gov/releases/off...
state.gov
Announcement of Actions to Combat the Global Censorship-Industrial Complex - United States Department of State
The State Department is taking decisive action against five individuals who have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize, and suppress American viewpoints they oppose....
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 04/12/2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “did not comply” with the Pentagon’s policies when he used a private messaging app to discuss airstrikes by U.S. forces in Yemen earlier this year, the department’s inspector general said in a report released on Thursday. Here’s what else we learned from the report.
nytimes.com
Takeaways From the Pentagon Investigation on Hegseth’s Use of Signal
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Oliver Linow @oliverlinow.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
Hello World! DW is dedicating its first Bluesky post to this great topic, which is of course particularly close to my heart. A totally useful app in this day and age. Many thanks to everyone involved at DW, as well as to @vinifortuna.com and the Outline team. #InternetFreedom
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Oliver Linow @oliverlinow.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Deutsche Welle is blocked in many countries. BigTech bans apps from their stores so that they can do business in autocracies. DW is responding with ‘DW - Access’. It circumvents censorship, can be installed directly, and can be used during an internet shutdown. corporate.dw.com/en/dw-access...
DW Access App, a tool that circumvents censorship
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Doug Madory @eldomador.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
Amazon has blamed today's massive outage on the "DNS resolution of the DynamoDB API endpoint in US-EAST-1." @kentik.bsky.social observed a complete drop-off in traffic to this particular AWS service beginning at 06:55 UTC. Thousands of services around the world were impacted.
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Oliver Linow @oliverlinow.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
Since yesterday, the Taliban in Afghanistan have shut down the internet. Without the internet, many people are severely restricted in their daily lives. @ioda.live is a reliable source for tracking internet shutdowns. The measurement data is completely transparent and therefore quotable.
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Oliver Linow @oliverlinow.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
The shutdown is still ongoing!
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Doug Madory @eldomador.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
Blackout in Afghanistan as Taliban orders internet service downed at 12:38 UTC (5:08pm local). Earlier this month, Taliban banned fiber optic internet in a rural province to “prevent immorality.” This shutdown follows brief national outage minutes earlier from 11:33 to 11:53 UTC.
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Oliver Linow @oliverlinow.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
What is the impact? ...from Putin's perspective. What comes next?
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OONI @ooni.org · 31/07/2025
⚡️ Today, we published a report documenting the shutdowns during the student uprising in #Bangladesh last year. 🔗 ooni.org/post/2025-ba... Together with Digitally Right, we compiled a comprehensive timeline of blocks, outages, and political events that happened in the 22 days of the uprising.
An illustration of the timeline of shutdowns during the uprising in Bangladesh in 2024.
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Doug Madory @eldomador.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
LEO satellite operator Starlink currently experiencing a total outage beginning at 19:13 UTC today. #Starlinkdown No word yet on cause of the outage.
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Cloudflare Radar @radar.cloudflare.com · 24/07/2025
Satellite #Internet provider Starlink is currently experiencing a network-wide outage. They have acknowledged the outage, but have not yet provided information on a cause. x.com/Starlink/sta...
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Oliver Linow @oliverlinow.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Iranians Targeted With Spyware in Lead-Up to War With Israel
More than a dozen Iranians’ mobile phones were targeted with spyware in the months prior to the country’s war with Israel, according to new research.
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Reporter ohne Grenzen @reporter-ohne-grenzen.de · 17/07/2025
Aserbaidschan verschärft das Mediengesetz erneut: Ausländischen Redaktionen droht Schließung, Presseagenturen brauchen 20 lokale Abos – in einem Land ohne unabhängige Medien. RSF fordert: Gesetz zurücknehmen, Journalist*innen freilassen! #Pressefreiheit #Azerbaijan
"Keine unabhängigen Medien mehr in Aserbaidschan?" Zu sehen ist der Aserbaidschanische Präsident Ilham Aliyev. Mit triumphierendem Blick läuft er über einen roten Teppich. Er trägt einen Anzug.
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The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · 14/07/2025
⚡️ BREAKING: Zelensky announces next prime minister, launches government reshuffle. "I have proposed that Yuliia Svyrydenko lead the Government of Ukraine and significantly renew its work," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
kyivindependent.com
BREAKING: Zelensky announces next prime minister, launches government reshuffle
"I have proposed that Yuliia Svyrydenko lead the Government of Ukraine and significantly renew its work," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
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Doug Madory @eldomador.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
For more information on the situation in Iran, follow @ammir.bsky.social and his colleagues at @filter.watch: bsky.app/profile/filt...
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Doug Madory @eldomador.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
To put this in context, today's drop is in addition to the drop in traffic levels observed on June 13th.
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IODA @ Georgia Tech @ioda.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/06/2025
As we hear reports of mobile Internet shutdown in Iran, IODA measurements are showing loss of connectivity on mobile networks IranCell (AS44244) and RighTel (AS57218). Follow connectivity in near realtime […] [Original post on mastodon.social]
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POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 15/05/2025
TikTok has breached EU rules for failing to disclose sufficient information about advertising on the platform, the European Commission said today.
ow.ly
TikTok breached digital advertising rules, European Commission says
ByteDance-owned TikTok is the second platform, after Elon Musk’s X, to get an EU warning under the Digital Services Act.
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Oliver Linow @oliverlinow.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
Teile der Trump Regierung nutzten einen israelischen Signal Clone mit eingebauter Backdoor für sensible Chats. Hierüber wurden komplette Chatverläufe unverschlüsselt an Server in der AWS Cloud übertragen. Wer welche Informationen abgegriffen hat ist unbekannt. Das war vermutlich nur der Anfang...
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Micah Lee @micahflee.com · 06/05/2025
Despite misleading marketing, Israeli company TeleMessage, used by Trump officials, can access plaintext chat logs. My findings are based on TM SGNL's source code, and they are corroborated by hacked data micahflee.com/despite-misl...
micahflee.com
Despite misleading marketing, Israeli company TeleMessage, used by Trump officials, can access plaintext chat logs
Despite their misleading marketing, TeleMessage, the company that makes a modified version of Signal used by senior Trump officials, can access plaintext chat logs from its customers. In this post I ...
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Oliver Linow @oliverlinow.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
Only a limited amount of information is coming out of #Myanmar following the heavy #earthquake. Publicly available measurement data from @radar.cloudflare.com shows a significant drop in internet traffic in the country. This indicates that parts of the infrastructure has been destroyed.
https://radar.cloudflare.com/traffic/mm?dateRange=7d
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