Restrictions to the internet and coverage of the elections are likely, with journalists already being \u201charassed\u201d or \u201creceiving judicial warnings\u201d<\/a> according to the International Federation of Journalists. Our May edition of the Policy Monitor covers the developments around Iran\u2019s internet, which is supplemented by the Network Monitor which provides the latest on internet disruptions and internet connectivity in Iran.<\/p>\n The Supreme Council for Cyberspace (SCC) has not held any meetings since March 2021, <\/a>where they discussed the Protection of Children and Teenagers in Cyberspace Resolution. According to SCC member Mohammad Hassan Entezari, a meeting is expected to take place in early June<\/a> to approve the resolution.<\/p>\n With Iran\u2019s presidential elections set to be held on 18 June, this could be the final meeting of the body chaired by President Rouhani.<\/p>\n On 15 May<\/a> the Valid Online Identity Verification System (SAMAVA) was launched by the Information Technology Organisation (ITO), an organisation under the control of the ICT Ministry. Deputy ICT Minister Amir Nazemi described SAMAVA as a government system to verify an individual\u2019s identities, in order to grant them access to any services \u2013 whether e-governmental services or private ones \u2013 which require ID verification.<\/p>\n The system operates by asking users to enter their national ID number and mobile phone number, and to submit a photo which is verified against records held by the National Organisation for Civil Registration. According to SAMAVA\u2019s Project Manager Naser Esmaeili, the system\u2019s purpose is to \u201cprevent data leaks\u201d, such as the recent Mellat Bank leak. Esmaeili said that one advantage of SAMAVA is that \u201cID information from users is not stored in a single organisation\u201d, reducing the risk of leaks.<\/p>\n According to the ITO, the creation of SAMAVA is in accordance with Article 4.2.3 of the SCC\u2019s Valid Identity in Cyberspace Resolution, which was approved<\/a> on 31 August 2019.<\/p>\n On 19 May<\/a>, the Education Ministry announced that data used for the education app Shad would be free until the end of the current Iranian year, meaning that students would not incur any fees for using the app.<\/p>\n The Majles introduced a bill in December 2020<\/a> calling for the removal of data costs for the Shad app. This bill was introduced despite previous ICT Ministry claims that users would not be charged for using the education app. Iran\u2019s digital access gap \u2013 particularly pronounced in marginalised and rural communities \u2013 has caused real challenges for some students in accessing the national remote learning app, which was introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The suicide of at least one student has been \u00a0attributed<\/a> to their inability to access these online education resources and device.<\/p>\n On 26 May<\/a> Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced a ban on energy intensive cryptocurrency mining until 22 September, after Iranians experienced a number of blackouts which authorities attributed to \u201ccryptocurrency mining, drought, and increased demand during the summer months\u201d.<\/p>\n The power cuts have also intermittently affected internet connectivity, as explained in this month\u2019s edition of Network Monitor.<\/p>\n On 24 May<\/a> ICT Minister Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi announced that a free, one-month 7GB mobile internet package would be made available to all Iranians ahead of the June presidential elections. This package can be claimed via a dedicated website, ictgifts.ir, using national ID number. Azari-Jahromi added: \u201cDon\u2019t ask if it is [just] for the domestic internet, the internet is an international network.\u201d<\/p>\n He stated that this free internet package was announced following recommendations from the National COVID Headquarters that election campaigning should take place online in the interest of public health.<\/p>\n On 19 May<\/a> a number of letters signed by Deputy Chief of Tehran\u2019s Justice Department Javad Javidnia were shared on Twitter. The letters were addressed to ISPs including the Telecommunication Infrastructure Company (TIC), Hamrah-e-Aval (MCI), Irancell, and Rightel, and ordered the filtering of Instagram, Google Play Store, VPNs and other circumvention tools.<\/p>\n According to the Judiciary\u2019s press office, the order was \u201crevoked within the hour\u201d by the Head of Tehran\u2019s Justice Department. The press office stated that the letter was an \u201cadministrative violation\u201d and \u201cbeyond the duties and powers\u201d of the letter\u2019s author, who would be \u201csubject to disciplinary action.\u201d Javidinia previously held the position of the Judiciary\u2019s Deputy for Cyber Affairs, and was a critic of Instagram\u2019s continued availability in Iran.<\/p>\n Just a day prior to the letter being shared online, SCC Secretary Abolhassan Firouzabadi commented<\/a> that as far as he is aware \u201cthere are no plans to filter Instagram\u201d and that \u201cthe majority are against the filtering of Instagram.\u201d<\/p>\n Speculation around the filtering of Instagram \u2013 one of the few remaining international social media platforms not filtered in Iran \u2013 has been ongoing for some time. However, with the presidential elections taking\u00a0 place in June, there are growing concerns that authorities could impose further restrictions on online platforms.<\/p>\n The storm sparked by Javidnia\u2019s letter highlights the continued opacity of Iran\u2019s filtering regime, and the disconnect between different governmental organisations. Notably, Chief Justice Ebrahim Raisi is currently a frontrunner in the presidential race. As such, the Judiciary\u2019s revocation of this order could also be interpreted as a political maneuver to win support among voters concerned about the further expansion of internet censorship in Iran.<\/p>\n This month, a number of students at Islamic Azad University stated on Twitter that they were \u201cforced to download the Iranian messaging app iGap\u201d in order to receive a verification code to log in to their university\u2019s online portal. Previously, students were given the choice of receiving a verification code via iGap, or waiting for two minutes and entering a CAPTCHA code. According to a number of students, this second option is no longer available.<\/p>\n Students have also reported receiving text messages asking them to download iGap \u201cin order to gain access to details of their student files\u201d, which appear to have been sent by the university. However, university officials have denied<\/a> knowledge of the texts, which they state have been sent by iGap in order to encourage users to download the app. It is not clear how iGap obtained these students\u2019 personal details.<\/p>\n While some Iranian messaging apps have struggled to sustain an active user base, they remain an essential component of Iran\u2019s long-term internet localisation plans. As such, a number of incentives and essential services have been offered via domestic messaging apps to attract Iranian users. Last month<\/a>, a service was rolled out to enable people to book their COVID-19 vaccine via iGap. Given that these apps often lack adequate privacy and security protections, and are vulnerable to government data requests, such developments are a source of real concern.<\/p>\n In an interview with Mehr News on 21 May<\/a> Zahra Roshandel, the General Manager for Regulation at the Audio-Visual Regulatory Organisation (SATRA) shared details of regulations for election activities ahead of the presidential election in June.<\/p>\n According to Roshandel, the regulations communicated to platforms hosting user-generated content (such as social media platforms) include:<\/p>\n They are required to create an \u201cofficial page\u201d for candidates should they request it. The page or channel should bear a verification mark;<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Election content and messages should be labeled with an \u201celection content sign\u201d so that users are able to \u201ceasily identify\u201d election-related content;<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Platforms should identify and remove \u201cbots spreading false information\u201d, and users should have the ability to report such content as \u201celectoral violations\u201d on the platform;<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Candidates should be able to report content as \u201csuspicious\u201d if they believe it contains incorrect information about them. Additionally, election ads should also state the origin source of the advert;<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Platforms should be impartial, should adhere to national election laws, and are required to remove any content that breaks these laws;<\/p>\n<\/li>\n The sale or sharing of user data held by platforms, with advertisers or other groups, is prohibited.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/p>\n According to a tweet on 11 May<\/a> by the Iranian video streaming platform Aparat, Iran\u2019s Audiovisual Regulatory Authority (SATRA) \u2013 which is under the control of the state broadcaster\u00a0 Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) \u2013\u00a0 ordered the removal of an interview<\/a> with former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by political analyst Ali Alizadeh. Aparat\u2019s tweet stated: \u201cUnfortunately, there are still conflicting policies in cyberspace and once again domestic services have been the target of criticism for [violating] users' rights, and [yet] no other responsible [party] has been heard\u201d. The reason for the removal of the video was not stated.<\/p>\n The removal of the interview was met with widespread criticism and public backlash. In response in an interview<\/a> with Digiato, a SATRA Deputy, Vahid Farahmand, called the removal request by SATRA \u201can error by [SATRA\u2019s] supervisor\u201d and a \u201cgap in the communication process with Aparat.\u201d He added that SATRA\u2019s senior management decided that the video \u201cshould not have been subject to a removal order\u201d, as similar content is available on Aparat and other platforms. According to Farahmand there is \u201cno ban on the republication of the video\u201d which has been communicated to Aparat, and SATRA is \u201cworking on correcting its weaknesses\u201d.<\/p>\n On 26 May<\/a> the Iranian social media app Rubika announced its readiness to host presidential candidates on the platform, to support their campaigning efforts. Last month, following the filtering of Clubhouse, Rubika announced that it had added \u201caudio-room\u201d capabilities to the app.<\/p>\n Iranian apps and services lack adequate security measures compared to their international counterparts, especially in light of Iran\u2019s lack of meaningful data protection laws. Users should remain extremely cautious about the privacy and security risks associated with domestic apps, where user data is hosted locally and vulnerable to being surveilled or requisitioned by state authorities.<\/p>\n According to figures released by the Communication Regulatory Authority (CRA) in early May <\/a>for the final quarter of the Iranian calendar year 1399 (21 December 2020 - 20 March 2021)\u00a0 fixed internet penetration rates showed a small increase in users, from 11.64% in the third quarter of 1399 to 12.61% in the final quarter.\u00a0 Meanwhile, mobile internet penetration rates increased to 100.19% in the final quarter of 1399. These figures demonstrate that the vast majority of Iranians continue to rely on mobile networks for connecting to the internet, rather than landline connections.<\/p>\n In a tweet on 29 May<\/a> ICT Minister Azari Jahromi announced the launch of Iran\u2019s first international Internet Exchange Point (IXP) in the \u201cPayam\u201d Special Economic Zone located in Karaj County, just outside Tehran. He added that this is \u201cthe most important infrastructure and the first step for de-monopolising the internet entering the country.\u201d Based on Filterwatch research on a number of ASes the The Telecommunication Infrastructure Company (TIC) is still controlling the international gateways in the country.<\/p>\n According to various social media reports on 14 May<\/a>, data from \u201c30 million Mellat Bank users\u201d was leaked online, including personal information such as names, national ID numbers, phone numbers and addresses. The news was confirmed by Behnam Valizadeh, the ITO\u2019s e-Government Deputy, who commented that the leak was \u201ccaused by gathering personal information on the organisation\u2019s systems.\u201d<\/p>\n On 16 May<\/a> Mellat Bank released a statement stating that the \u201cdata leak claims are being investigated by the bank\u2019s specialist and technical teams\u201d and that \u201cas soon as more information becomes available, full details will be communicated.\u201d Given the large number of data points and the sensitivity of the information leaked, Mellat Bank has not clarified the steps it has taken to protect or inform its customers about the incident.<\/p>\n On 6 May<\/a> it was reported that an individual was arrested in Bandar Abbas Port in Hormozgan Province in relation to a video filmed and published on social media earlier this year. The video, filmed at the loading terminal at the port of Bandar Abbas, showed a \u201clack of hygiene products\u201d.<\/p>\n Iranian authorities, including the Cyber Police (FATA), have made a number of arrests in relation to online criticisms of the government\u2019s handling of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Our FATAwatch series has more details on these arrests.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" May marks the final weeks of Hassan Rouhani\u2019s presidency before the election to find his replacement takes place. As the June 18 presidential elections come into sharper focus, online spaces are more important and more contentious than ever. With in-person campaigning and rallies at a minimum in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, online campaigningContinue reading \"Policy Monitor – May 2021\"<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3047,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-network-monitor","entry"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/filter.watch\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/policy-300x24.png\")
<\/p>\nSupreme Council for Cyberspace Has not Held a Meeting Since March<\/h2>\n
\u201cCredible Online Identity Verification System\u201d Launched<\/h2>\n
Shad Education App to be Available with Free Internet \u201cUntil the End of the Current Iranain Year\u201d<\/h2>\n
Cryptocurrency Mining \u201cBanned\u201d for Four Months Amid a Number of Power Cuts<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/filter.watch\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/economy-300x25.png\")
<\/p>\nFree Internet Package Ahead of Iran\u2019s Presidential Election<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/filter.watch\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/apps-300x25.png\")
<\/p>\nJudicial Order for the FIltering of Instagram \u201cRevoked\u201d<\/h2>\n
Users Report Messaging App iGap Required to Access University Platform<\/h2>\n
Iran\u2019s Audio-Visual Regulatory Body Sets Rules for Presidential Election Campaigns<\/h2>\n
\n
Iran\u2019s Audiovisual Regulatory Authority Orders the Removal of Interview with Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from Domestic Video Streaming Platform Aparat<\/h2>\n
Iranian Social Media App Rubika Announces \u201cReadiness to Host Presidential Campaigns\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/filter.watch\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/infra-300x24.png\")
<\/p>\nStatistics From Iran\u2019s Communication Regulatory Authority Shows Slow Growth for Fixed Internet<\/h2>\n
Iran\u2019s First International Internet Exchange Point in Special Economic Zone Launched<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/filter.watch\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/cyber-300x24.png\")
<\/p>\nPersonal Data from \u201c30 Million Mellat Bank Customers Leaked Online\u201d<\/h2>\n
Individual Arrested for \u201cDisrupting Public Opinion\u201d By Publishing Video \u201cShowing Lack of Hygiene Products\u201d at Bandar Abbas Port Loading Terminal<\/h2>\n