{"id":5210,"date":"2025-02-10T10:32:24","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T10:32:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filter.watch\/english\/?p=5210"},"modified":"2025-03-06T10:43:50","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T10:43:50","slug":"investigative-report-january-2025-unblocking-or-expanding-censorship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filter.watch\/english\/2025\/02\/10\/investigative-report-january-2025-unblocking-or-expanding-censorship\/","title":{"rendered":"The New Supreme Council of Cyberspace Resolution Aims to Intensify Information Controls"},"content":{"rendered":"

An analysis of the resolution on lifting internet filtering suggests that the government aims to refine its approach by expanding restrictions more efficiently while minimizing the financial and social costs associated with enforcement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nearly two months have passed since the Supreme Council of Cyberspace last convened. Although the 32-article resolution from this session has yet to be published, some provisions of its draft, <\/span>released<\/span><\/a> by Mehr News Agency, indicate serious steps by the government toward imposing greater restrictions on citizens. Key provisions include the creation of state-approved clone versions of apps, tighter bans on the purchase and sale of VPNs, and the conditional unblocking of certain platforms only if they comply with the laws of the Islamic Republic. Additionally, the government is required to propose new legislation aimed at further tightening content control on the internet.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the resolution was introduced in pro-government media as a means to \"lift filtering\" on WhatsApp and Google Play, a critical but overlooked aspect is the criminalization of publishing \"fake news\" online. This provision practically restricts user interaction, content creation, and dissemination. Although measures such as tiered internet access and the introduction of a state-approved YouTube clone pose serious security risks for users in Iran, the expansion of content control laws marks an unprecedented level of restriction.<\/span><\/p>\n

The implementation of this resolution empowers security and judicial institutions to impose restrictions more freely while reducing their costs. Additionally, the number of users under surveillance will significantly increase.<\/span><\/p>\n

The resolution mandates the government to \"review and adjust measures for dealing with criminal content on both domestic and foreign platforms.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Consecutive Resolutions for Controlling Online Content<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Supreme Council of Cyberspace's mandate for the government to review and adjust measures against criminal content comes despite the existence of a 2020 <\/span>resolution<\/span><\/a> titled \"Prevention and Combat of the Spread of False Information, News, and Content in Cyberspace.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

According to this resolution, \"any information, news, or journalistic content published online\u2014whether textual, audio, visual, or multimedia\u2014that disrupts public order, spreads anxiety, undermines stability, cohesion, trust, health, and security of individuals and society in economic, social, and political dimensions, or leads to illicit gains shall be deemed a crime.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

At that time, the council obliged the judiciary to \"define instances of apparent crime\" and \"adjust penalties accordingly.\" The resolution also mandated the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance to \"develop and implement comprehensive mechanisms for monitoring and verifying the accuracy of online information, news, and content.\" Furthermore, the ministry was instructed to \"establish a legal documentation system and take action against foreign publishing platforms that fail to cooperate,\" in collaboration with entities such as the Prosecutor General\u2019s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, Article 6 of the 2020 resolution required the state broadcaster (IRIB) to actively counter false news through on-the-ground reporting and new journalism methods to raise public awareness, enhance social resilience, and reduce the impact of misinformation.<\/span><\/p>\n

This resolution covered all channels, websites, applications, and bots with more than 5,000 followers, requiring them to be verified by the judiciary, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Communications. These accounts were to be categorized as \"digital media,\" \"data platforms,\" or \"ordinary users.\" The ambiguous definition of \"follower\" in this resolution meant that a wide range of influential news channels and regular users fell under its jurisdiction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Simultaneously, additional laws have been enacted by various judicial entities to monitor online content creation. Some examples include:<\/span><\/p>\n