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”
Tag Archives: suppression
Increasing Control of Cyberspace to Repress Social Change
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”
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 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”