Arman
Arman is a 21-year-old engineering student in Tehran. He’s quiet, curious, and tired of pretending not to see what’s happening around him. He’s not looking to start a revolution, but he wants to know the truth, and right now truth is filtered, flagged, and firewalled.
Step 1: Getting Around the Telegram Ban
In order for Arman to get the tools and information he needs to access the free and open internet, he’s going to use Telegram. Despite being banned, Telegram is still used by millions in Iran, often through built-in proxies or external VPNs.
Arman doesn’t want to pay for a VPN (nor risk linking a purchase to his name), so he finds a free MTProto proxy from an unblocked website that lists them.
He adds it in Telegram:
Settings->Data and Storage->Proxy Settings->Add Proxy->MTProto
And just like that, Telegram connects.
Step 2: Getting Tor
Arman tries to download Tor Browser from torproject.org, but it’s blocked. So, he Telegram to get Tor. Arman adds the GetTor Bot (@gettor_bot), and picks the platform he wants to install Tor for. In this case, it’s probably Android, but it could be Windows, Linux, Mac, or iOS, too. Instantly, GetTor replies with options for Arman to use to download Tor safely.
Step 3: Tor Fails. Of Course.
He installs Tor Browser, opens it, and finds that he can’t connect. Iran is trying to prevent people from using Tor, which means that Arman is going to need to use a Bridge. He might try Snowflake, but he definitely found that Snowflake is blocked most of the time in Iran.
So he pivots.
Step 4: Getting obfs4 Bridges That Work
Still in Telegram, Arman messages the Tor Bridges Bot (@GetBridgesBot). Immediately, Arman gets a list of obfs4 bridges to use, which he copies into the Tor Browser’s custom bridge input.
Settings->Connection Settings->Provide a Bridge I Know->Add a New Bridge
Then he connects… and this time, it works. Arman now has access to the free and open internet.
Step 5: A New World
The pages load slowly. Some sites are missing images. But it doesn’t matter. Arman is reading uncensored news for the first time in years. Articles from BBC Persian, Deutsche Welle, academic archives, even religious resources he never knew were banned.
He doesn’t post. He doesn’t click suspicious links. He just reads, at least for now.
Step 6: Staying Ahead of Censorship
Arman knows that his goverment may block the Tor bridges he’s using, or the MTProto proxy he’s using for Telegram. They may try new approaches to censor the internet, too.
To stay ahead of the oppressive censorship regime, Arman regularly downloads and records new obfs4 bridges from the Tor Bridges bot, new free MTProto proxies, and installs Briar for peer-to-peer encrypted messaging. He establishes a few different ways to keep in touch with family and friends in other parts of the world that could help him get back online if he ever gets knocked offline by censorship.
Key Lessons
- Tor works in Iran, but you often need manual obfs4 bridges. Snowflake likely won’t cut it.
- Telegram is banned, but widely used with MTProto proxies or VPNs.
- GetTor bots provide a safe channel for downloading Tor Browser without accessing censored domains.