FilterWatch and Taraaz are proud to release a new resource, “Navigating Tech and Human Rights in Iran: A Human Rights Impact Assessment Guide to Engage, Assess, Act.” This comprehensive guide is created to help technology companies make decisions that respect human rights and internet freedom in Iran. Why We Created This Guide As internet censorshipContinue reading “Navigating Tech and Human Rights in Iran: A Human Rights Impact Assessment Guide to Engage, Assess, Act”
Tag Archives: Information Controls
Iran’s “People’s Lifestyle Assessment System”: A New Surveillance Threat
The Iranian government’s “Seventh Development Plan” bill, which was passed in the past month, is one of the most significant and influential laws affecting Iran’s digital realm. It contains a key section called the “Lifestyle Assessment System”, a far-reaching initiative that aims to monitor and control the activities and behaviors of Iranian users. This systemContinue reading “Iran’s “People’s Lifestyle Assessment System”: A New Surveillance Threat”
Domestic Messaging Apps: Leading in Surveillance, Lagging in Service
Executive Summary Research and polling by Filterban show that in the past year, more than 67 percent of internet users in Iran have been forced to download and use domestic messaging apps at least once. This poll, conducted from mid-to-late June 2023, reveals how the government employs various direct and indirect tactics to push citizensContinue reading “Domestic Messaging Apps: Leading in Surveillance, Lagging in Service”
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’”
Facial Authentication and Recognition: From Reality to Political Propaganda
Executive Summary The discussion on the use of facial recognition technology became prominent when Mohammad Saleh Hashemi Golpayegani, the former secretary of the Command of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Wrong, stated in a September 2022 interview with the news site Khabar Fori: ‘Technology now allows images to be matched with national ID photos, and thoseContinue reading “Facial Authentication and Recognition: From Reality to Political Propaganda”
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”
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”
Iran’s New ICT Minister: Internet Friend or Foe?
Eisa Zarepour (born 1980, Kermanshah province) was a largely unknown figure in Iran before his appointment to the post of Minister of Information and Communications Technology in August 2021. While maintaining a low profile, Zarepour has taken on several influential government positions over the years. During the Ahmadinejad administration he held several senior ICT positionsContinue reading “Iran’s New ICT Minister: Internet Friend or Foe?”