It is enough for a sound to go beyond a certain level, an excuse will be created to impose a new restriction. This is a policy that has been seriously considered in Iran in the past three decades to deal with “free flow of information and freedom of expression”. A policy that began with filtering, was followed by blocking popular social networks by the people, and with the start of the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, the work went beyond filtering and blocking, and what is understood from the activities of the parliament is that by getting closer to the failure of the project of blocking the virtual space, criminalization will take place in this area; a matter that if achieved, will not only affect journalists, but also the people and prominent figures.

Beginning of dam construction

Closing, closing, and closing; this policy has become a repetitive term in the contemporary political history of Iran, especially in the past 24 years; a repetitive policy that began during the first term of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and has continued with a more serious and different approach during the term of Ibrahim Raisi. A policy with one goal; to block the path of “information and freedom of expression” by any means possible. Now, the work has passed through filtering and has reached the hands of the legislative institution and it is planned to criminalize it in this path. Apparently, the system has come to the conclusion that filtering alone will not be enough and a more aggressive policy must be considered in this path.

Once upon a time, the only fear of writers was writing itself. But since the internet entered homes and virtual space gained popularity with its increasing speed, the fears of opponents of free flow of information have grown even more than before, and new barriers are occasionally created against this issue.

Since the day that the use of internet in Iran gained speed, efforts to create censorship in this path have begun. In 2008, before the start of the 10th presidential election and while there were no protests in the streets yet, filtering YouTube and Twitter were the first steps taken in this direction. After that, the time of the presidential election (June 2009) became the deadline for the expansion of these restrictions. However, it should not be forgotten that article 698 of the Islamic Penal Code regarding “disturbing public minds and spreading lies” was passed in 2000.

On the third of Khordad, the decision to filter Facebook will be implemented and two days later, the first punishment for using blocked websites will be approved. However, since this law will be published in the official newspaper on the 17th of Tir, its use will practically be postponed until after the elections. In Article 729 of the Computer Crimes Law, which was approved on the 5th of Khordad 88, it states: “Any individual who illegally enters protected websites by the country’s computer and security devices will be subject to 91 days to 1 year imprisonment or a fine of 500,000 to 2,000,000 tomans.” This was the first step in determining the punishment for using websites that the Islamic Republic had deemed citizens should not use, but the widespread use of these sites has resulted in no practical application of this law.

After the implementation of this law, the fight against free flow of information and freedom of speech was summarized in the same laws as before, and the only policy that was occasionally used was filtering. This policy was often accompanied by an excuse and was used when society was in turmoil, protests were taking place, and overall conditions were not peaceful in Iran. A separate report is needed to examine the process of filtering and blocking the flow of information and the fight against freedom of speech, but for the sake of brevity, we will only briefly mention this process to reach the current year.

After YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook were filtered before the 88 elections, in the same year, it was the turn of Gtalk and Yahoo 360 to face this censorship. In 92 and 93, when the use of virtual space had shifted from home computers to mobile phones, while there was no protest, a new wave of filtering began and Vchat (92) and Viber (93) were filtered. This was the first wave of arbitrary blocking by the Islamic Republic that was used.

For three years, there was no news of internet censorship in Iran until after the nationwide protests in the winter of 96, when efforts to filter Telegram began and in April 97, the filter was placed on the forehead of this popular social network. Then in 98, despite nationwide protests, there was no news of censorship, but in 99, without any specific reason, it was Signal’s turn to be filtered. After that, during the presidential election of 1400, Clubhouse was filtered until we reached 1401 and the start of the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement became a reason for WhatsApp, Instagram, and Skype to be filtered as well.

Revolutionary process

Since the eleventh parliament has come into power under the name of “Revolutionary Parliament”, extensive efforts have been made to increase censorship. These efforts have gone beyond filtering and blocking the virtual space and have led to criminalization. In other words, failure in the censorship project and the inability to confront the growing trend of internet progress and bypassing filtering have caused society to be threatened with legal action.

After the start of Ibrahim Raisi’s government, while there was still no news of nationwide protests in Iran, the plan known as “Protecting Users’ Rights in Cyberspace” was put on the agenda of the parliament and efforts to bring this issue to fruition continue. However, after the start of the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, the process of creating more extensive restrictions has accelerated and so far three steps have been taken in this direction.

1- Confrontation with citizen-journalists:

According to the proposed plan, if someone sends a film or image to “opposing and foreign” networks, they will face the maximum punishment; a matter that will not only affect journalists, but also citizen-journalists who play a crucial role in reporting and cannot be hidden.

2- In the face of news spreading on social media:

Furthermore, in another plan that is under consideration, anyone who spreads a “false” news in the virtual space; whether they are a journalist or a citizen who has sent the news, will be held accountable and must answer for it.

3- Punishment for Faces:

According to this controversial plan, if a person who is a public figure expresses their opinion before official authorities, they will be sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison. The subject that seems to be targeting celebrity figures in the fields of art, sports, and politics.

Alongside the plans that the parliament, and specifically members of the Front of Steadfastness or those close to the ideological spectrum of Mosbah Yazdi, have considered, a statement from the deputy prosecutor of Qom has also caused controversy and there is a possibility that this issue will become a judicial procedure. He has stated that individuals who are active on social media are not only responsible for their own posts, but also for liking others’ posts and using hashtags, and they must be held accountable. Additionally, it should be noted that efforts have been made to punish the sale of VPNs in Iran, and it seems that according to Article 753 of the Islamic Penal Code (passed in 2009), sellers of VPNs will face imprisonment from 91 days to 1 year and a fine.