{"id":5801,"date":"2026-02-03T13:27:34","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T13:27:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filter.watch\/english\/?p=5801"},"modified":"2026-02-23T15:10:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T15:10:25","slug":"investigative-report-february-2026-exposing-the-architects-of-irans-digital-repression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filter.watch\/english\/2026\/02\/03\/investigative-report-february-2026-exposing-the-architects-of-irans-digital-repression\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive Report:The Network Behind Iran\u2019s Internet Shutdown; From Engineering Disconnection to Profiting off Sanctions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Update:<\/strong> According to a document obtained by Filterwatch, Riton has ended its cooperation with the Ministry of Communications as of late December 2025. Welcoming the decision of private companies to cease collaboration with institutions involved in restricting and shutting down the internet in Iran, Filterwatch has updated this report.<\/p>\n

Since January 8, 2026, Iran's internet has entered one of its darkest eras.\u00a0 Evidence gathered by Filterwatch\u2019s investigations show that this situation is not a technical accident but the result of deliberate design. This digital suffocation reflects the coordinated work of a network of security officials, cyber engineers, and economic partners who have systematically engineered the severing of the Iranian public\u2019s access to the global internet. At the heart of this transition is a shift from traditional policy-making to an active \"war room\" model. Control has moved to a centralized state monitoring facility where technical delays in implementing network disconnections are now treated by security forces as an act of treason.<\/span><\/p>\n

The driving force behind this isolation is a convergence of ideological mandates and technical engineering. Led by figures such as Ali Aram at the Supreme National Security Council and Mohammad-Amin Aghamiri of the National Cyberspace Center, the state is aggressively implementing a \"Selective Whitelist\" model. This architecture utilizes sophisticated service and customer segmentation to transform internet access from a public utility into a government-granted privilege, allowing the state to maintain critical business services while severing the public's connection to the global web.<\/span><\/p>\n

This report further uncovers a deep-seated economy of suppression. A network of \"trustees,\" private intermediaries, and firms like the Dowran Group has emerged to manage the acquisition of sanctioned hardware and export surveillance expertise. This infrastructure is sustained by a revolving door of leadership between security agencies and major operators like Irancell, ensuring that technical operations remain in total lockstep with security mandates. By identifying the specific engineers, profiteers, and policy-makers involved, this report exposes the human and corporate machinery that makes the current era of digital darkness possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

The realization of this system of digital isolation depends entirely on a specific cadre of individuals\u2014the policy-makers who draft the mandates, the engineers who build the filters, and the corporate executives who implement them. To understand how this system functions, it is necessary to examine the specific roles and backgrounds of the key actors currently driving Iran\u2019s isolation. The following list details the primary architects and enforcers of this new infrastructure.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Designers of the Cyber War Room: The Commanders of Restriction<\/b><\/h4>\n
Ali Aram: Responsible for Internet Shutdowns and Architect of the \"White List\"<\/b><\/h5>\n