Iran's Parliament Revisits Internet Restriction Bill

A bill aimed at further tightening internet control in Iran has been reintroduced in the Iranian parliament in a last minute bid to deepen social repression as the current parliament comes to its season's end.

The ILNA news agency reported that the 'Legislation to Protect Cyberspace Users' aims to intensify internet restrictions and with the new parliament set to officially commence on May 27, there is a final push to enact the bill before the changeover.

Over the past two decades, Iran has routinely blocked websites and social media applications, though many citizens circumvent the restrictions using VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and other tools.

Legal expert Kambiz Norouzi said the new measures will not succeed, as people find alternative ways to get online. "Fighting realities only leads to failure," he said.

Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, Minister of Communications during Hassan Rouhani's administration, said the move is a desperate last minute attempt to push through the repressive measures. "The planners have lost hope for passing the plan in the next parliament considering its composition. With the current performance, they believe there is a high chance that the government will be a one-term administration, therefore they want to pass a law to permanently remove the internet development mandate from the control of administrations."

A recent report by the Tehran E-commerce Association has pointed fingers directly at President Ebrahim Raisi, alleging his role in the ongoing internet censorship efforts. The report criticizes the direct involvement of all three branches of government in censorship processes, particularly highlighting the President's responsibility due to his appointment power over the committee that filters websites.

"Iran's internet situation is akin to that of poor and underdeveloped countries, but the main difference is that in Iran's case, these conditions are self-inflicted," the report added.

However, hardliner Tehran representative Mostafa Mirsalim expressed his frustrations about the stalling of the legislation in parliament, citing the "lawlessness" online as causing significant societal damage.

The resurgence of interest in tightening internet restrictions traces back to July 2021 when Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, criticized the "unrestrained" nature of cyberspace.

Critics argue that the approval of the plan will mark a shift towards a more security-oriented approach by the regime towards the internet, potentially leading to increased censorship and restricted access.

Following the nationwide protests that erupted in mid-September 2022 after Mahsa Amini was killed in a morality police detention center, several popular internet services, including Instagram and WhatsApp were blocked by the government.

Iran not only blocks a wide range of websites including major social media platforms and international services like Google Play but also implements a reverse filtering system known as Iran Access. This system restricts users outside Iran from accessing numerous Iranian sites, including those of government bodies, banks, and financial institutions. The measure aims to lower the risk of foreign hacking attacks which frequently target government organizations.