In a bid to tighten its control over online activities, the Iranian regime has intensified its repressive tactics, unveiling a new initiative titled “Ethical Crimes in Cyberspace.” Spearheaded by the head of the Cyber Police division of the State Security Force, this move underscores the regime’s persistent efforts to curb dissent and impose ideological conformity.
The announcement of this latest measure comes amidst the enforcement of the suppressive “Noor Plan” and heightened pressure on women to adhere to strict hijab regulations. Under the pretext of combating “ethical crimes and violations against Islamic, social, and cultural norms in cyberspace,” authorities have vowed to crack down on individuals engaged in activities deemed indecent or morally objectionable.
According to reports from the state-run news agency, ISNA, Vahid Majid, the head of the Cyber Police division, has outlined plans to target those involved in producing vulgar content and engaging in inappropriate live broadcasts online. Additionally, efforts are underway to identify and take action against operators, managers, and members of designated “cyber checkpoints” deemed to be contributing to the dissemination of objectionable material.
This latest move follows a series of repressive actions by the regime, including the blocking of popular social media pages and the summoning of individuals for expressing dissenting views online. Furthermore, authorities have resumed harsh crackdowns on citizens, particularly women, in an effort to assert control over public spaces.
#Iran News in Brief
Yahya Rahim-Safavi, former #IRGC Chief: “Let’s admit that we lost in the war of cyberspace. The #internet is in their hands, they got the upper hand, and all these systems of ours could not cope with their media.”https://t.co/MYECJy2ATH pic.twitter.com/OixK8gjsN4— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) January 26, 2023
It’s important to note that this assertion comes amidst ongoing restrictions in Iran, where major platforms like Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Telegram, and WhatsApp are all currently blocked. However, according to the latest survey conducted by ISPA, the Iranian Students Polling Agency, released in February 2023, 46.5% of Iranians still manage to access Instagram, with 35.3% using WhatsApp, and 34.6% using Telegram, despite these limitations.
Meanwhile, in a statement to the press, MP Amir-Hossein Bankipour provided insight into the regime’s punitive measures against women who fail to obey its hijab law. Bankipour said, “For the first time, a fine of one and a half million tomans is written as a suspended penalty and sent to them. This is a suspended fine, meaning that it is not collected from them. If their image is seen again in CCTV cameras for the second time, the punishment will be applied. The second fine will be three million tomans. Then, four and a half million will be collected from the offenders. They have a chance to object within a week or two. But after the objection is over and it is proven, three weeks later, the fine must be paid, otherwise, through the judicial system, this fine will be enforced, which will definitely be collected from the offender.”
Bankipour further highlighted the regime’s efforts to identify citizens through surveillance cameras, stating, “We have said that all institutions must provide their footage, even the private sector, to the law enforcement force so that under the lens of law enforcement, all the damages that exist in the cities, from theft to various issues, are monitored.”
