EU Removes Iran’s Censoring Tech Firm From Sanctions List

Despite protestations by Iranian democracy activists, the European Union has removed Iran’s censoring tech firm ArvanCloud from the list of human rights sanctions.

According to the official journal of the European Union, Arvan Cloud (aka Abr Arvan; Noyan Abr Arvan Co.; Arwan Company; Arvancloud) was deleted from the sanctions list. The firm was sanctioned in 2022 for its role in Iran's Internet censorship.

Iran International reported late in March that the EU was set to remove the company following a complaint with the European Court of Justice. The firm also pressured European governments through political channels to revoke this decision. At the same time, ArvanCloud announced the termination of its contract with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

A source close to European authorities informed Iran International last month that ArvanCloud's international backers erroneously claimed the company played a significant role in ensuring millions of Iranian citizens had access to a free internet during the 2022-2023 Woman, Life, Freedom protests. This claim appears to be one of the reasons for the EU's decision to lift sanctions on ArvanCloud.

Iran has implemented a comprehensive censorship program since 2002. This includes blocking tens of thousands of websites, along with major social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Traditional media outlets are also subject to strict censorship, as are books and films. Both religious and political content are heavily monitored and restricted.

ArvanCloud controls 49% of Iran's cloud space market and continues to host many of the Islamic Republic's most important websites, including the Presidency, IRNA news agency, and the Ministry of Islamic Guidance.