As Iran holds its presidential election today, a group of Iranian dissidents have launched ‘Iranians Vote’, a blockchain-powered, surveillance-free voting app. The app will allow Iranian citizens to safely protest the Islamic Republic of Iran by casting a vote of no confidence in its presidential candidates and corrupt electoral system.
This innovative app, developed by NGOs, IranUnchained and TCT e.V., utilizes Rarimo’s incognito voting solution, Freedom Tool, to enable citizens to cast a vote of no confidence while maintaining their anonymity.
Anonymity and Security at the Forefront
The Iranians Vote app leverages cutting-edge technology to offer a secure and surveillance-free voting experience. The use of zero-knowledge cryptography ensures that voters can verify their eligibility without compromising their identity or risking detection by authorities. This technology was first deployed by the Russian opposition in a referendum against Vladimir Putin’s inauguration, proving its effectiveness in high-stakes political environments.
Arman Torkzaban of TCT e.V., a co-lead of the project, highlighted the app’s significance in a climate of oppression.
“The widespread persecution and massacres of dissidents by the criminal regime have suppressed protests and the formation of a strong Iranian polity. However, by safeguarding citizens’ anonymity, Iranians Vote aims to restore the right to political participation, independent of the Islamic state and its supporters,” Torkzaban stated.
Empowering Protest Through Technology
Ameen Soleimani from IranUnchained, another co-lead of Iranians Vote, emphasized the transformative potential of the technology.
“We are grateful to the Rarimo team for developing the Freedom Tool, which we can now use to help the Iranian people protest against the illegitimate Islamic Republic elections. The combination of zero-knowledge cryptography and blockchain technology will undoubtedly serve to bring democracy securely into the digital age,” Ameen said.
How Iranians Vote Works?
The process is straightforward yet robust. Users prove their citizenship by scanning their biometric passports with their phones. The app verifies the data on the passport’s biometric chip and issues an anonymous voting pass for use in polls and protest elections. Crucially, the passport data remains on the user’s device and is never transmitted to a server, eliminating the risk of interception.
Votes are recorded on the Gnosis blockchain, ensuring they are tamper-proof and transparent. This decentralized approach prevents any interference and guarantees the integrity of the voting process.
Lasha Antadze, co-founder of Rarilabs, the provider of Rarimo, reflected on the impact of the Freedom Tool. “Freedom Tool was a momentous technical accomplishment; it suddenly made it possible for citizens to vote with total anonymity. But something being possible is not the same as something happening. Watching freedom fighters around the world use Freedom Tool to make their voices heard is a very real testament to the power of privacy to preserve human rights.”
Iranians Vote and the Freedom Tool offer a compelling blueprint for secure, anonymous voting in repressive regimes. The technology is open-source and license-free, enabling anyone around the world to develop voting apps that protect citizens’ rights to free expression and political participation.
As Iran navigates its contentious election, Iranians Vote stands as a powerful symbol of resistance, using blockchain and zero-knowledge technology to champion democracy and human rights in the digital age.
