{"id":4870,"date":"2024-05-25T18:14:57","date_gmt":"2024-05-25T18:14:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filter.watch\/en\/?p=4870"},"modified":"2025-06-03T08:40:51","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T08:40:51","slug":"policy-monitoring-april-2024-breaking-the-resistance-of-internet-companies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filter.watch\/english\/2024\/05\/25\/policy-monitoring-april-2024-breaking-the-resistance-of-internet-companies\/","title":{"rendered":"Subduing Internet Companies:\u00a0 The Final Piece in the Surveillance State Puzzle"},"content":{"rendered":"

The past month saw the advance of a policy intended to secure government control over digital economy companies. By acquiring stocks and ownership rights in these companies, the government seeks greater ability to monitor and control with fewer obstacles from the private sector. With such tactics, the government now has a freer hand to access information and carry out extra-legal measures in matters where no clear laws exist for enforcing state demands.<\/span><\/p>\n

Currently, illegal government commands may be met with resistance from private sector actors. Government access to information and control of content, though possible in existing law, is for now implemented inconsistently. In a coordinated effort, the government has tried to smooth the way for the passage of repressive internet laws and regulations, including by homogenizing institutions like the Secretariat of the Supreme Cyberspace Council and installing supporters of internet repression. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>Simultaneously, the government has been preparing to counter any resistance from the private sector to policies that threaten access and freedom of expression. In terms of Iranians\u2019 digital rights and internet access, this is significant because the government plans to achieve greater and more effective control over domestic internet services and platforms, as well as to sideline key private sector actors. The point of this campaign is to widen the grip of governmental institutions to carry out surveillance and control policies. However, this end goal may be complicated and opposed by a strong, influential private sector, especially if security bodies make their demands outside of formal legal and judicial channels.<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s New? Public Talk of Pressure on Start-Ups\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n

For several years, the government has aimed to encircle digital economy companies by exerting pressure on their employees through various means, including business closures, messages from security officials, arrests, interrogations, assaults by plainclothes agents, and cyberbullying. Filterwatch\u2019s investigations of sources employed by startups inside Iran indicate that following the \u201cWomen, Life, Freedom\u201d movement, these pressures increased greatly.\u00a0 Security bodies and the Ministry of Islamic Guidance began surveilling not only the compulsory hijab but also campaigns, content production, and even images of products from digital merchants. This surveillance was chiefly enforced through direct phone calls to management-level staff, rather than official correspondence.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the most recent development, on April 27, Ruhollah Deghani Firouzabadi, the President\u2019s Deputy for Science and Technology, <\/span>referred<\/span><\/a> to governmental pressure to acquire stock in these companies in a speech circulated by a governmental Twitter account.<\/span><\/p>\n

Firouzabadi <\/span>dismissed<\/span><\/a> rumors of state pressure on digital economy companies to sell stock as \u201cbaseless,\u201d saying \u201cRegarding the transfer of stock in the company Digikala, we set only one condition. Our condition was that they undertake a moral commitment to invest money from stock sales in emerging areas like artificial intelligence.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Digikala is an e-commerce website similar to Amazon . It is one of the biggest and most famous online stores in Iran<\/span>.<\/b> Firouzabadi was reacting to news <\/span>published<\/span><\/a> in mid-April regarding the sale of a portion of Digikala stock to Hamrah-e Aval. Hamid Mohammadi, the head Digikala\u2019s Board of Directors, had <\/span>confirmed<\/span><\/a> the news, saying that negotiations were still underway and nothing had been finalized.<\/span><\/p>\n

The negotiations took place just three months after the February 10 <\/span>arrest<\/span><\/a> of Masoud Tabatabaei, Digikala\u2019s Managing Director, on charges of \u201cinsulting sanctities\u201d in connection with the sale of drinking mugs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Does the Government Want to Control Digital Companies?<\/b><\/h4>\n

As the law is written at present, security and judicial bodies may, where necessary, access user data controlled by major digital companies (e.g. data concerning sales, cloud infrastructure, internet services, and taxis). Government institutions stand to gain even greater opportunity to enforce their directives (both legal and extra-legal) with effective shares in these companies and perhaps seats on their corporate boards.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Does the Government Force Companies to Collaborate?<\/b><\/h4>\n

Government forces use various tools in their campaign to acquire shares in the ownership and management of private internet startups.<\/span><\/p>\n