After repeatedly promising to alleviate or improve internet censorship in Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian introduced his nominee for the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology: Seyed Sattar Hashemi. Hashemi, closely associated with former minister Azari Jahromi, is known for being cautious, conservative, and more of a “follower” than a “pioneer” or “pragmatic” leader. These traits may inhibit him from making swift and independent decisions.
Hashemi has played a significant role in the development of indigenous mobile phones and operating systems. He advocates for the full implementation of the National Information Network’s overarching policies, the resolutions of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, and the Seventh Development Plan. Seyed Sattar Hashemi’s plans for the Ministry of Communications are structured around three major axes: “Higher-level policies and laws,” “current status,” and “challenges.” His primary goal is the completion of the National Information Network.
However, he has remained completely silent on issues such as filtering, network disruptions, and even internet shutdowns, which are among the most critical demands of internet users and voters, offering no response to these concerns.
Instead, Hashemi has focused on implementing the Seventh Development Plan, the resolutions of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, and the “Second Step of the Revolution” statement issued by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. By doing so, he has committed to establishing “national sovereignty,” “protecting Islamic-Iranian values in cyberspace,” and advancing the National Information Network and fiber-optic networks.
This is despite his strong academic background, with a significant focus on artificial intelligence and its use in identifying malware and defense systems. Despite numerous promises regarding the lifting of filters, Hashemi has yet to present even the smallest plan for any changes to internet censorship, and based on his proposed plans, it can be concluded that he will fully implement the programs approved by Ayatollah Khamenei.
Iranian users identify sanctions and internet filtering as their biggest challenges, prompting them to launch two signature campaigns. The first, titled “Opposition to Technology Sanctions Against the People of Iran,” has gathered over four thousand signatures. The second, titled “Demand for the Immediate Lifting of Internet Filtering from Dr. Pezeshkian’s Government,” has collected over 34,000 signatures.
Censorship and filtering are highly sensitive issues for the internet freedom community. The Tehran Electronic Commerce Association has so far published three reports on the damaging effects of censorship and filtering on the right to internet access. Despite this, the candidate for the Ministry of Communications has not addressed this significant issue or the demands of citizens in his program.
Who is the Next Minister?
On August 11, 2024, Seyed Sattar Hashemi was introduced to the Parliament for a vote of confidence as the Minister of Communications in Masoud Pezeshkian’s government. Hashemi initially entered the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology under the tenure of Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, the then-Minister of Communications, and was appointed as the Deputy for Innovation at the Telecommunications Infrastructure Company.
Prior to this, Hashemi served as the Director General of Communications and Information Technology in Fars Province from 2014 and as the Deputy for Technology at the Telecommunications Infrastructure Company from 2016.
His major achievements and activities within the Ministry of Communications include:
- Supporting the production of Iranian-made mobile phones.
- Supporting the development of indigenous ICT industry equipment through the localization of these technologies.
- Drafting the roadmap and launching the fifth-generation (5G) internet.
- Developing the national roadmap for artificial intelligence in the country.
- Redesigning, launching, and operationalizing the Information Security Management System (ISMS) at the Telecommunications Infrastructure Company.
Reinventing the Wheel: Hashemi’s Role in the Development of Indigenous Mobile Phones and Operating Systems
Seyed Sattar Hashemi has played a significant role in the development and production of domestically manufactured mobile phones and an indigenous mobile operating system. In an interview with the Hamshahri newspaper in June 2023, Hashemi announced that by 2025, two million Iranian-made mobile phones equipped with a local operating system would be produced within the country.
The development of an indigenous operating system and software is a key component of the application layer of the National Information Network (NIN). According to Article 18 of the operational goals outlined in the National Information Network’s comprehensive plan and architecture document, the production and development of a smart mobile operating system is one of the objectives of this network.
In a report published by Factnameh in December 2022, the so-called “National Android” was described as an operating system “customized from the original Android for domestic use.” This operating system is not entirely new but rather a modified version of the existing Android system, customized according to the policies of the Islamic Republic. These modifications include, for example, the removal of Google Play and its replacement with Iranian applications.
In October 2020, Hashemi defended the mobile phone registration policy in an interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), calling it a crucial step toward “bundling.” This policy would allow individuals who purchase domestically produced phones to access special features and services from mobile operators.
He also highlighted the successful production of domestic modems by the Arg-e Jadid complex and announced the establishment of a mobile phone production line within the country. Additionally, he mentioned that the “Oroud” company, which operates a feature phone production line in China, was in the process of relocating this line to Pakdasht, Iran.
Class-Based Internet
During his tenure at the Ministry of Communications, Seyed Sattar Hashemi was a supporter of class-based internet. In an interview with IRIB News in October 2021, Hashemi announced the launch of a system that would provide free internet access to teachers, university professors, clerics, and students.
Class-based, or tiered internet access refers to a discriminatory approach to providing internet access to citizens, where access varies based on criteria such as age, occupation, and gender. As a result, different individuals may pay varying costs for internet access or experience different levels of access.
Position of the Internet Freedom Advocacy Community
Investigations by Filterwatch indicate that the majority of internet freedom activists have limited knowledge of Seyed Sattar Hashemi. Despite this, some activists remain hopeful that, considering Masoud Pezeshkian’s promises to lift internet filters, the next Minister of Communications might take action in this regard.
However, a portion of this community views Hashemi as closely aligned with Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, the Minister of Communications in Hassan Rouhani’s second administration, and believes that Hashemi will continue along the path of developing the National Information Network and implementing the overarching policies of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace.
It seems that internet freedom advocates perceive him as a figure who serves the powers that be, conservative in nature, and adherent to directives.
The Candidate’s Agenda
A copy of the proposed agenda of Seyed Sattar Hashemi, the nominee for the Ministry of Communications in Pezeshkian’s administration, has been obtained by Filterwatch. This agenda is structured around three major axes: higher-level policies and laws, the current state of affairs, and challenges. The overarching goal of these objectives is the completion of the National Information Network.
Seyed Sattar Hashemi’s Stance on Key Issues
Seyed Sattar Hashemi has remained completely silent on issues such as filtering, network disruptions, and even internet shutdowns—problems that are among the most significant concerns for users and voters. Rather than addressing these issues, he has chosen to ignore them, offering no solutions.
Instead, Hashemi has focused on the implementation of the Seventh Development Plan, the resolutions of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, the Second Step of the Revolution statement, and similar directives. He has committed himself to establishing “national sovereignty” and “protecting Islamic-Iranian values in cyberspace,” as well as to the development of the National Information Network (NIN) and fiber-optic networks.
His agenda makes it clear that he distinguishes between the global internet and the National Information Network, which functions as an intranet. In part of his plans, he promises to increase the per capita connection speed to both the “global internet and the National Information Network” through the expansion of the NIN and fiber-optic networks.
However, based on the agenda he presented, it is unclear what his stance is on traffic segregation and bandwidth reduction. In other words, given the current resolutions and regulations regarding the reduction of bandwidth and global internet speed, which he is committed to enforcing, it is uncertain how he plans to increase internet speed.
In his program, Hashemi identifies several challenges he faces, including the slow development of the NIN, the lack of a clear plan for infrastructure development, international sanctions, security issues such as breaches and hacking that compromise privacy, the stalled progress of the government cloud project, the absence of unified command for cyberspace governance, the migration of skilled professionals, and other related issues.
