Inside the Fight to Keep Iran Online (archived) – NY Times, Jan 16 2026
Activists spent years preparing for a communications blackout in Iran, smuggling in Starlink satellite internet systems and making digital shutdowns harder for the authorities to enforce.

Iran's communications blackout last week seemed complete. Internet and cellular networks had been shut down by the authorities. Online banking, shopping and text messaging services stopped working. Information about the growing protests was scarce.

Yet a ragtag network of activists, developers and engineers pierced Iran's digital barricades. Using thousands of Starlink satellite internet systems that they had quietly smuggled into the country, they got online and spread images of troops firing into the streets and families searching for bodies.

A 'ragtag network' of 'activists' … Let's see who, according to the piece, belongs to it:

"You need to plan to have that infrastructure in place," said Fereidoon Bashar, the executive director of ASL19, a digital rights group focused on Iran. "This is because of years of planning and work among different groups."

ASL19 is an Iranian 'regime change' group in Canada. Its website says:

We build innovative solutions to advance human rights and civil liberty in Iran

Its 'About' page says nothing about who is behind it or how the group is financed. A Wikipedia page about the organization  leaves some doubt about the its integrity:

ASL19 (Persian: ??? ??) is an independent technology organisation that works toward practical responses for online access to information. Their work has been mired in allegations of sexual abuse and workplace harassment.

Based in Toronto, ASL19 was founded in 2012 with the support of the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab.

The University of Toronto has sought to distance themselves from the organisation since controversy about the organization was raised in 2017.
…
An investigative reportage by The Verge and an open letter from anonymous former female employees alleged workplace abuse and harassment existed within the organization. A freedom of information request from Ontario human rights tribunal demonstrated that an allegation of abuse and sexual assault had occurred within the workplace, while ASL19 managing staffs were allegedly complicit in covering up the alleged abuse. In the one reported case the organisation reportedly sought out a non-disclosure agreement.

Digital rights organisation Access Now terminated their partnership with ASL19 for their RightsCon summit series in December 2017.