This chapter expands on the complex dynamics of government censorship and self-censorship in Iran, exploring how media freedom has been affected by the situation in Iran after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. It identifies the mechanisms through which political pressure, socio-cultural norms, and legal frameworks cultivate a pervasive climate of fear, leading to the suppression of independent media and open discourse. The primary objective is to critically analyze the current Iranian legal systems that restrict freedom of expression and to pinpoint key governmental actions in speech control. The chapter goes on to explore the mental impact on people in general, along with media workers and journalists, who seek to understand how the fear makes them unconsciously limit what they find and say to the public. The writers focus on the “chilling effect” on the key groups of political dissidents and women’s rights campaigners in particular.Finally, the chapter assesses how digital platforms both amplify and mitigate these chilling effects, serving simultaneously as tools for state surveillance and avenues for resistance. This qualitative, descriptive case study draws on real-life incidents and the experiences of Iranian journalists and activists to illuminate the challenges and methods of resistance in a non-democratic society, contributing to the broader discourse on the “chilling effect” and emphasizing the global community’s role in supporting free expression in Iran.