{"id":4939,"date":"2024-08-26T09:22:11","date_gmt":"2024-08-26T09:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filter.watch\/english\/?p=4939"},"modified":"2024-08-26T20:00:24","modified_gmt":"2024-08-26T20:00:24","slug":"the-completion-of-the-national-information-network-and-silence-on-censorship-the-main-agenda-of-the-communications-ministry-candidate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filter.watch\/english\/2024\/08\/26\/the-completion-of-the-national-information-network-and-silence-on-censorship-the-main-agenda-of-the-communications-ministry-candidate\/","title":{"rendered":"National Network and Silence on Censorship: A Profile of the New Telecommunications Minister"},"content":{"rendered":"

After repeatedly promising to alleviate or improve internet censorship in Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian introduced his nominee for the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology: Seyed Sattar Hashemi. Hashemi, closely associated with former minister Azari Jahromi, is known for being cautious, conservative, and more of a \"follower\" than a \"pioneer\" or \"pragmatic\" leader. These traits may inhibit him from making swift and independent decisions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hashemi has played a significant role in the development of indigenous mobile phones and operating systems. He advocates for the full implementation of the National Information Network's overarching policies, the resolutions of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, and the Seventh Development Plan. Seyed Sattar Hashemi's plans for the Ministry of Communications are structured around three major axes: \"Higher-level policies and laws,\" \"current status,\" and \"challenges.\" His primary goal is the completion of the National Information Network.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, he has remained completely silent on issues such as filtering, network disruptions, and even internet shutdowns, which are among the most critical demands of internet users and voters, offering no response to these concerns.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, Hashemi has focused on implementing the Seventh Development Plan, the resolutions of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, and the \"Second Step of the Revolution\" statement issued by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. By doing so, he has committed to establishing \"national sovereignty,\" \"protecting Islamic-Iranian values in cyberspace,\" and advancing the National Information Network and fiber-optic networks.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is despite his strong academic background, with a significant focus on artificial intelligence and its use in identifying malware and defense systems. Despite numerous promises regarding the lifting of filters, Hashemi has yet to present even the smallest plan for any changes to internet censorship, and based on his proposed plans, it can be concluded that he will fully implement the programs approved by Ayatollah Khamenei.<\/span><\/p>\n

Iranian users identify sanctions and internet filtering as their biggest challenges, prompting them to launch two signature campaigns. The first, titled \"<\/span>Opposition to Technology Sanctions Against the People of Iran<\/span><\/a>,\" has gathered over four thousand signatures. The second, titled \"<\/span>Demand for the Immediate Lifting of Internet Filtering from Dr. Pezeshkian's Government<\/span><\/a>,\" has collected over 34,000 signatures.<\/span><\/p>\n

Censorship and filtering are highly sensitive issues for the internet freedom community. The Tehran Electronic Commerce Association has so far published <\/span>three reports<\/span><\/a> on the damaging effects of censorship and filtering on the right to internet access. Despite this, the candidate for the Ministry of Communications has not addressed this significant issue or the demands of citizens in his program.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who is the Next Minister?<\/b><\/h4>\n

On August 11, 2024, Seyed Sattar Hashemi was <\/span>introduced<\/span><\/a> to the Parliament for a vote of confidence as the Minister of Communications in Masoud Pezeshkian's government. Hashemi initially entered the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology under the tenure of <\/span>Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi<\/span><\/a>, the then-Minister of Communications, and was <\/span>appointed<\/span><\/a> as the Deputy for Innovation at the Telecommunications Infrastructure Company.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prior to this, Hashemi served as the Director General of Communications and Information Technology in Fars Province from 2014 and as the Deputy for Technology at the Telecommunications Infrastructure Company from 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n

His major achievements and activities within the Ministry of Communications include:<\/span><\/p>\n