The present report provides an overview of the activities of Iran’s cyber police and the cyberspace performance of security forces in the three-month period starting from the 1st of July to the end of September.2023, with a particular focus on widespread arrests of individuals active in cyberspace throughout Iran. These arrests were carried out particularlyContinue reading “Increasing Control of Cyberspace to Repress Social Change”
Tag Archives: Digital Rights in Iran
Digital Market “Capitulation”: The Tiered Internet System in the Tourism Sector
Iran’s tourism industry is introducing a new system of tourist SIM cards that allow foreign visitors and tourism workers to access the internet without censorship. The system was inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo’s visit to Iran, which sparked a debate about internet freedom in the country. However, the system also reinforces the government’s plan to createContinue reading “Digital Market “Capitulation”: The Tiered Internet System in the Tourism Sector”
How the Iranian Parliament Plans to Spy on Citizens with the ‘Lifestyle Assessment System’
The Iranian government recently passed a major law that affects the digital rights of its citizens. The law, known as the Seventh Development Plan, includes a controversial component called the ‘Lifestyle Assessment System’, which allows the government to spy on people’s personal information. This report analyzes the Seventh Development Plan law, its specific clauses,Continue reading “How the Iranian Parliament Plans to Spy on Citizens with the ‘Lifestyle Assessment System’”
Widespread Disruption Named Infrastructure Development
Internet users in Iran experienced widespread disruptions in September-October 2023, ranging from complete outages to severe disturbances. These disruptions coincided with the second internet blackout schedule announced by the Minister of Communications, Isa Zarepour, and his organization, the Infrastructure Communications Company. According to them, the internet in vast areas of Iran would be disrupted fromContinue reading “Widespread Disruption Named Infrastructure Development”
The Iranian government’s use of technology to control and surveil its citizens
Iran’s seventh development plan bill outlines various infrastructure projects for different sectors of the country, to be carried out over five years (from 2023 through 2027). This plan has not yet been approved by the parliament, and its discussion was planned for September 25, but no update has been reported since then. A significant portionContinue reading “The Iranian government’s use of technology to control and surveil its citizens”
Introduction of Layered Internet Infrastructure to Public
In August 2023, the Iranian government introduced a new phase of internet restrictions. After a prolonged struggle, two pivotal components of these restrictions, the Regulatory Framework for Online Services (previously known as the “User Protection” bill) and the Layered Internet System, were publicly enforced for the first time that month. The government has also expressedContinue reading “Introduction of Layered Internet Infrastructure to Public”
How Women Are Targeted by Virtual Repression in the Name of Modesty and Hijab
Recently, it was reported that the parliament is considering a bill on modesty and hijab, which would be implemented through Article 85 of the Constitution. This bill aims to regulate and penalize the behavior of women in cyberspace, including the promotion of voluntary – as opposed to mandatory – hijab. Since, like any modernContinue reading “How Women Are Targeted by Virtual Repression in the Name of Modesty and Hijab”
FATAwatch: January – March 2022
What is FATA Watch? In the past decade the security establishment and the judiciary in Iran have been one of the primary instruments of suppression and censorship on the internet. The FATA cyber police force has been in the news for putting pressure on civil rights activists, journalists and well-known figures, but most of itsContinue reading “FATAwatch: January – March 2022”
Whose Internet? The battle over the Future of Iran’s Internet
On 22 February, a committee of Iranian MPs voted 18 to 1 to pass a bill now commonly referred to as the “User Protection Bill”. The vote received unprecedented public attention in the weeks and months leading up to it due to the common perception among Iranians that the bill intends to restrict their accessContinue reading “Whose Internet? The battle over the Future of Iran’s Internet”
Disruption of Iran’s Private Tech Sector
The growth of Iran’s tech startup community, once observed with awe due to its exponential growth which began around a decade ago, has been experiencing a slow-down. A contributing factor has been the increasingly apparent pressures exerted by Iranian authorities in order to bring the country’s private tech sector further under government control, with newsContinue reading “Disruption of Iran’s Private Tech Sector”