Major-General Hossein Salami Appointed As New IRGC Head
On 21 April Major-General Hossein Salami was appointed the head of the IRGC by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Salami will also replace his predecessor Mohammad Ali Jafari on the Supreme Council on Cyberspace. It is unlikely that this appointment will result in changes to the IRGC’s policy positions on the SCC.
Rouhani Chairs SCC Meeting, But Not Everyone’s Invited
On 15 April President Hassan Rouhani chaired a meeting of the SSC. Talking about the tragic floods in Iran, Rouhani expressed concern over the publication of incorrect news and rumours relating to the disaster. He added that the SCC needed to develop policies that would prevent the spread of incorrect news online. He added that the government would propose new legislation to Parliament if needed. Iran’s Cyber Police also announced a number of arrests relating to the spread of false information online.
According to media reports, former IRIB Director-General Ezzatollah Zarghami — and a political appointee of the Supreme Leader to the SCC — was barred from the meeting by President Rouhani. Rouhani and Zarghami have publicly clashed on a number of issues in recent months, including the election of the new Chair of the Supreme Council for Cultural Revolution, Saeid Reza Ameli.
Iran and Turkey Establish a ‘Direct Internet Link’
On 29 April the ICT Ministry announced that Iran and Turkey have established a “direct internet link” to neutralise the threat of sanctions to Iranian internet connectivity. The announcement came after a meeting between Iranian ICT Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi and Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Mehmet Cahit Turhan in Tehran. Despite the growing pressure from US sanctions, there has so far been no indication that Iran’s access to the internet may be threatened.
Google Removes Iranian Apps from Play Store, Citing Privacy and Security Concerns
On 25 April Google removed a number of Iranian apps from its Play Store, including two popular “unofficial” versions of Telegram: Hotgram and Goldengram. Google believed that the apps posed a threat to the security and privacy of their users.
Iranian campaigners and activists (including the Center for Human Rights in Iran) previously warned about the level of access these apps had to user data, and highlighted the possibility of them collaborating with Iranian security forces. These suspicions arose owing to the fact that Hotgram and Goldengram appear to have been unofficially ‘whitelisted’ by the Iranian authorities, to allow Iranians limited access to Telegram.
ICT Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi responded to Google’s move, saying that “a report by the Information Technology Organisation indicates that the removal of Iranian developed applications for Android phones has not been restricted to just one messenger, but rather has affected some Iranian cyberspace-based businesses. US economic terrorism is also moving towards our digital economy.”
Personal Data of 6.7 Million Iranians Leaked
On 18 April Security Discovery researcher Bob Diachenko discovered a publicly available database containing the national ID and phone numbers of 6.7 million Iranians. It later became clear that the leaked data was collected by the ride-sharing app TAP30.
Tehran City Council Demands Access To Company’s Data
On 14 April Hamid Bazargar, the CEO of Tehran-based taxi company Maxim, announced that Tehran’s City Council had approached the company with demands to access raw user data collected by the company. Bazargar stated that the company declined the request, stating that the privacy of its users is a red line they are not willing to compromise on.
TV Competition Clamp Down Ordered by ICT Ministry
On 24 April Iran’s ICT Ministry issued an order to mobile phone operators to clamp down on SMS-based competitions offered by different IRIB programs. A number of popular shows have earned significant money from advertising competitions where viewers pay fees via SMS and are entered into a prize draw.
In recent months a number of religious and political figures have questioned if the practice is permitted, or whether it should be outlawed like gambling. Supreme Leader Khamenei also demanded that IRIB programmes should not promote a “culture of gambling”.
Ride-Hailing App Snapp Develops Alternative to Google Maps
On 23 April Snapp announced that the company has developed a domestic alternative to Google Maps, which will soon be available to drivers. In the days running up to the announcement, Snapp came under attack for their use of Google Maps in the app — particularly because the maps included the use of ‘Arabian Gulf’ in place of ‘Persian Gulf’.
Instagram Cracks Down on Users with IRGC Affiliations
On 16 April, the day after the US Government designated the IRGC as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO), Instagram started the process of removing the pages of senior Iranian figures with links or a history with the IRGC. An Instagram spokesperson said that “we work with the appropriate government authorities to ensure we meet our legal obligations, including those relating to the recent designation of the IRGC.”
On 17 April Iran’s National Center for Cyberspace released a statement condemning Instagram’s deletion of accounts linked to the IRGC. The state called the actions an act of censorship and a violation of freedom of information and human rights.
