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I’m sorry, but there is no Farsi text provided. Can you please provide the Farsi text so I can translate it for you? Thank you.

Hossein Tarakashvand

National Internet or National Information Network is a project that was supposed to be completed by the end of 2016 according to the Fifth Development Plan and be put into operation. Whether the existence of such networks is beneficial for Iran and Iranians or not, the purpose of launching this network by the Islamic Republic of Iran government and whether this network will eventually be launched or not, are topics that will be discussed in this writing.

Iran is not the first country to think about launching a national information network. Countries such as the United States, China, England, and South Korea have also thought about it and have made efforts to achieve it. After the revelations of Edward Snowden, a former employee of the US National Security Agency, about the surveillance of individuals and governments by US and other security agencies, Germany and Brazil have also thought about launching a national information network.

The National Information Network is a system in which many information exchanges take place internally, relying on internal data centers. By implementing such a system, the need for the global internet network for all information traffic is greatly reduced. However, it should not be forgotten that in the National Information Network, the government’s power to monitor exchanged data and content will significantly increase, and by controlling the information centers within the country, it can monitor domestic internet traffic.

In fact, when the global internet network was launched, the founders of the World Wide Web had a different perspective on the concepts of security and privacy and they had overlooked these issues without considering any precautions. It didn’t take long for this initial perception to dissipate and security and privacy became one of the most important concerns for internet users. With governments accessing information from other governments and individuals, the internet, which was supposed to eliminate borders, created a strong border of concern and nationalism for governments. As a result, the idea of a national information network gained strength and challenged the initial concept of a global village. Unfortunately, it must be said that as long as security and privacy features do not exist in the world of the web, national information networks will continue to grow and their numbers will increase. Although there are deep differences among governments seeking to establish these national networks. Democratic governments define national networks alongside the global internet and do not restrict users’ access to the global network, but authoritarian governments have restricted access

Launching a national information network must be evaluated as it can have wide-ranging effects on the lives of individuals, both online and offline. It is not possible to definitively say whether the national information network is good or bad, but it is important to consider the government’s intentions for this project and the role of the people and experts in monitoring and potentially criticizing its performance. In simpler terms, if the government launching the national information network is democratic and derived from the will and desire of the people, and the people have the power to change and monitor the decisions of that government, then they will naturally accept the consequences of creating this network and take steps to address any shortcomings in the future. However, in a country where the government is not a true representative of the people and the interests of the people are of secondary importance compared to the interests of the rulers, there should be concerns about the consequences of creating such sensitive networks. From experience, democratic governments do not restrict their citizens’ access to the global internet

Unfortunately, the Islamic Republic of Iran has eliminated the possibility of monitoring many of its actions and does not allow anyone to do so. On the other hand, this government has powerful hands in suppressing ordinary citizens, media activists, and political, social, and civil activists. The concern for online security and privacy protection under a repressive government like the Islamic Republic has become the primary concern for many current internet users in Iran. Without a doubt, in a system where the government has complete control and security and privacy protection technologies are not implemented, the people will ultimately not benefit.

The reality is that it does not seem that the motivation of the agents of the Islamic Republic of Iran in launching the national internet is to preserve national interests, but rather one of their main concerns is the spread of information tools that they cannot control. So far, the critical media community in the country and abroad has witnessed widespread repression by this regime; arbitrary and unfair confiscation of newspapers and magazines, censorship and filtering of news and analytical websites, and parasitic control over satellite television. All of these are evidence that this government is opposed to any tool that increases the awareness of Iranians and helps the free flow of information, and it is trying to eliminate it. Therefore, in information networks that are completely under the control of this government, there will be no independent and critical media, and systematic repression will become easier.

Ultimately, if the government can acquire such a system in terms of infrastructure and technology, it will make every effort to achieve it and in this path, civil society and activists may not be able to be a serious obstacle. If this happens, the situation of supervision, criticism and awareness on one hand, and the level of social and cultural freedoms on the other hand, will face even more serious obstacles. A situation in which people must continue to strive to weaken it with difficulty and hardship.

It has been more than 10 years since the idea of establishing a national information network in the country was conceived, and its launch has been accompanied by administrative, infrastructural, and technological challenges. It cannot be denied that the success of the government in launching this network is uncertain, and it is possible that in the not-too-distant future, the national information network will reach the implementation stage; an event that, from the perspective of the writer, will not ultimately benefit Iranians. In fact, if we look at this issue from the perspective of public interests, it would have been beneficial for this network to be launched under a popular government that represents public thoughts and desires, so that in addition to helping to maintain online security and privacy, there would be free access to the internet and the possibility of monitoring it by real representatives of the people, and addressing its shortcomings would be possible.