Iranians in L.A. turn to WhatsApp and Fox News for updates on loved ones
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As the U.S.and Israel continue their bombardment of Iran, Iranian Angelenos are turning to a patchwork of communication apps, social media and cable news for updates on their loved ones some 7,500 miles away.
The Times spoke with several people in the “Tehrangeles” area of Westwood this week — the epicenter of L.A.’s sprawling Iranian diaspora — where they continued to express a mixture of anxiety and elation after the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Many said they are relying on apps such as Telegram and WhatsApp to get messages from their family and friends in Tehran and other parts of the country, while a large number said they’re turning to Fox News for the latest updates.Internet access in Iran is tightly controlled by the government, which operates one of the most restrictive systems of online censorship in the world.
Internet traffic is routed through state-controlled infrastructure that allows authorities to monitor usage and block thousands of websites, including social media platforms, international news sources and messaging apps.But people are finding ways through.
Many are using some form of “filter shekan” — an Iranian term for virtual private networks, circumvention apps and other tools that can bypass internet filters and access websites blocked by the government.Some use an an Android app that lets users outside the country act as a relay, allowing people inside Iran to route calls and messages through the outside internet connection and bypass government filtering.
Others still use landlines, which can function when the internet is shut off, but which are widely believed to be monitored by authorities.World & Nation Reza Khaleghian, 70, came bursting through the door of Naab Cafe on Saturday morning, phone pressed to his ear, fist held in the air, screaming the news in Farsi at anyone who would listen: “Khamenei is dea...