ARTICLE 19’s ‘Tightening the Net’ series monitors and analyses freedom of expression online in Iran
Internet freedoms are becoming increasingly under attack in Iran. While President Rouhani and his administration have made both political promises and international obligations for greater internet freedoms, their actions are heightening concerns that these will go unfulfilled.
This briefing series monitors the situation of online freedoms in Iran, reporting events and issues such as:
- arrests and intimidation of online journalists
- online surveillance and harassment of social media users
- developments around the National Information Network (NIN): the government’s plan to secure and maintain online content, servers, data, and networks inside Iran
- Legislative proposals and policies which impact online freedoms
- blocking, restrictions, and filtering of content and online platforms
We analyse the current climate of internet opening and closings in Iran and propose recommendations to the Iranian government, technology companies, and civil society inline with international law.
Iran’s new phase of digital repression
Following every national uprising, the Islamic Republic pays special heed to further centralising and tightening control over the internet, prompting a new era of digital repression. In this report, ARTICLE 19 examines how the Iranian regime is strengthening its hold over the internet through its Supreme Council of Cyberspace (SCC), with ever-increasing powers and under a new hardline leadership. While the election of the new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, might signal potential change in personnel for the body, there is little doubt what we have documented will continue to be the trajectory. We also issue recommendations on how third-party states and private entities should react to these changes.
Iran’s draconian Internet Bill
ARTICLE 19, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Access Now, along with over 50 other organisations, call on Iranian authorities and those engaged in bilateral dialogue with Iran to pressure the Iranian parliament to rescind the ‘User Protection Bill’.
Read more about the internet bill
Blog: Iran’s ‘Protection Bill’ will hurt the queer community the most
Iran: Parliament moves to ratify central elements of oppressive Internet Bill
Iran: Cyberspace authorities ‘silently’ usher in draconian internet bill
Digital repression during uprisings
Iranian authorities continue to deploy new tactics to crack down on freedom of expression and access to information as the popular uprising continues across the country.
More about digital repression during protests
Iran: Authorities must release technologists and digital rights defenders
Iran: Bullets, detention and shutdowns: the authorities’ response to protests in Khuzestan
Content moderation in Iran’s authoritarian internet environment
ARTICLE 19, Access Now and the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) have come together to make recommendations to Meta and Meta’s Oversight Board in an effort to streamline processes to ensure freedom of expression is protected for users who rely on their platform in Iran, especially during protests.
Read more about internet freedoms in Iran
Iran: Meta must protect the Iranian #MeToo movement
Iran: Bullets, detention and shutdowns: the authorities’ response to protests in Khuzestan
