📝 SummarXiv

Abstract

Internet censorship in the Islamic Republic of Iran restricts access to global platforms and services, forcing users to rely on circumvention technologies such as VPNs, proxies, and tunneling tools. This report presents findings from a mixed-methods study of 660 Iranian internet users, with a focus on gamers as a digitally literate and socially networked community. Survey data are combined with network measurements of latency and VPN performance to identify both technical and social strategies of circumvention. Results show that while younger users report higher confidence with circumvention, peer networks, rather than formal training, are the strongest predictors of resilience. Gaming communities, particularly those active on platforms such as Discord and Telegram, serve as hubs for sharing tactics and lowering barriers to adoption. These findings extend existing work on usable security and censorship circumvention by highlighting the intersection of infrastructural conditions and social learning. The study concludes with design and policy implications for developers, researchers, and funders working on digital rights and information controls.