While the re- gime has tortured dissidents to get their e-mail passwords and round up more opponents, the Internet has fostered civic and political pluralism in Iran; linked the opposition within that country to the Iranian diaspora and other global communities; and generated the consciousness, knowledge, and mobilizational capacity that will eventually bring down autocracy in Iran. A key factor affecting when that will happen will be the ability of Iranians to communicate more freely and securely online