Maybe you can, but the Chinese "VPN law" used some wording like "unauthorized communication channels" without further definition. They can just call Starlinks "unauthorized" and start confiscating them, just like what they did to the satellite dishes for receiving foreign TV signals.
My comment will certainly be dead, but I'll try replying anyway.
> the government has cut off or severely limited residential and especially mobile broadband access to the internet
How limited is the Internet access? As long as the network didn't go straight to "whitelist" mode, there may be ways to gain access to the blocked sites. Since you mentioned machines in data centers can still access the outside world, I guess it's still working in "blacklist" mode - only the sites they blocked are inaccessible.
As the rumor goes, Iran imported the censoring tech and equipment from PRC, so anything that works in China will most probably work in Iran.
V2ray and Vmess work in China because they disguise their protocols AND servers as normal web stuff. I wouldn't recommend Shadowsocks because the Chinese Great Firewall can now partially recognize it. If all things failed, HTTP proxies over TLS with legit Let's Encrypt certificates and client certificate authentication may be much more viable.
The Chinese guys also have tons of free proxies & VPN providers that are updated regularly stockpiled on GitHub, but most are documented in ambiguous language, such as these (I have no affiliation with any of them):
1. Search for such repositories on GitHub. The keyword you want to use is "翻墙", or go straight to the links listed above. You'll need to research their documents, or
2. Create an Issue stating your situation and that you need help.
I believe the owners of those repos may have the ability AND willingness to help you out.
And the communication part.... I used Matrix in China with the server placed abroad, and it worked very well, because it's working on top of HTTPS. Again, anything that seems normal web stuff have a higher chance of getting pass the censorship.
Mozilla FYI, the people here represent only a minor portion of 6% of the whole web browser user base, just ignore them and leave some subtle ways for them to disable whatever they hate, and everything will be fine. People here aren't living in the same world where your usual users live.
Some months ago, most of HN didn't like the idea that China's Mars rover (and a large part of their space tech stack) were copied from the US, kinda like "just leave it alone, it's for the sake of humanity."
But I see totally different reactions here. What's the difference here? Or why the double standards? Please enlighten me.
Cool! I live in the PRC. Google should just cut me off and send all my data to the Ministry of State Security right now, according to local legislations.
I'm a Chinese guy and I don't like this at all. Here's some Chinese perspective:
1. The CNSA is severely underfunded in recent years, to the extent that a considerable amount of space tech graduates went directly into other more "lucrative" fields such as the IT industry.
2. This landing operation was not announced beforehand. This is a bit unusual, when compared to the past operations, e. g. the first manned space flight, where the national news network kept broadcasting the whole event. The CNSA seemed a little unconfident about it.
3. This year is the 100th anniversary for the CCP.
4. Given 1, 2 and 3, and how things work in the PRC, this Mars landing thing is more likely a "present" for the CCP anniversary, intended to strive for more funding. If the operation failed, they'd probably postpone the whole announcement till a more "proper" time, since nobody even know they tried to land the rover.
So, the current atmosphere in the CNSA may be a little tense. A failure may make them lose their already-tiny funding, and they did this (at this timing) to please the CCP in order to get more support. I respect all those engineers and scientists who made the marvel achievement, but this is not a pretty scene. And as a Chinese, I don't like it at all.