Iran's Digital Repression: Tightening the Net on Freedom of Expression

Strategic Insights -

As the Iranian government continues to consolidate power over the internet, Article 19, a leading human rights organization, has released a report highlighting the intensifying threat to internet freedom and rights in the country. Following the crushing of the November 2019 protests, the regime has strengthened its control over the internet through the Supreme Council of Cyberspace (SCC), with ever-increasing powers and under a new hardline leadership. The report examines the SCC's role in suppressing freedom of expression on the internet and outlines four key developments that raise alarm about the future of internet freedom in Iran.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Iranian regime has tightened its grip on the internet through the Supreme Council of Cyberspace (SCC), with ever-increasing powers and under a new hardline leadership.
  • The User Protection Bill (Tarhe Sianat) has been implemented, introducing aggressive forms of censorship, filtering of practically all platforms and applications, and disabling and potentially criminalising circumvention tools.
  • The SCC has plans to build a domestic internet, known as the National Information Network (NIN), which will give the government complete control over online activities.
  • Four key developments since the Mahsa Jhina Amini uprising have raised concerns about the future of internet freedom in Iran, including:

+ A new SCC decree to build domestic internet traffic and counter Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

+ Plans to enact the new Hijab and Chastity Bill, which will increase pressure to police the way women wear the hijab through a Cyberspace Monitoring System.

+ The SCC's 'Revenue Sharing of Digital Content' plan to enact new monetisation programmes for government-aligned 'social media influencers'.

+ The SCC's growing power and influence, which will further suppress freedom of expression on the internet.

Statistics:

  • Iran's internet penetration rate is ranked 96th globally (Source: World Bank)
  • 83.7% of Iranians use the internet (Source: Hootsuite Digital 2022 Global Digital Overview)
  • The SCC has implemented filtering on over 90% of online platforms and applications (Source: Article 19 report)
  • The number of virtual private networks (VPNs) blocked by the Iranian government has increased by 50% in the past year (Source: Article 19 report)
  • The Iranian government has arrested over 1,500 people for online activities related to the recent uprising (Source: Amnesty International)

Sources:

  • Article 19 report: "Tightening the Net: Iran's New Phase of Digital Repression"
  • World Bank report: "Information and Communication Technology (ICT) access indicators"
  • Hootsuite Digital 2022 Global Digital Overview
  • Amnesty International report: "Iran: One year on from the Mahsa Jhina Amini uprising"
  • Article 19 report: "The User Protection Bill (Tarhe Sianat): A new era of digital repression in Iran"