Updated · Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty · Sep 3
Iran Lawmakers Draft Internet Curbs for 90 Million People as War Shifts Power to Cyber Council
Updated
Updated · Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty · Sep 3
Iran Lawmakers Draft Internet Curbs for 90 Million People as War Shifts Power to Cyber Council
2 articles · Updated · Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty · Sep 3
Summary
A new Cyberspace Regulation Plan presented on Aug. 26 would tighten internet controls in Iran, requiring user authentication and exposing platforms to fines or license revocation.
The draft would hand control of Iran's internet gateways to the Supreme Cyberspace Council, concentrating rule-making, regulation and enforcement in a body whose members are chosen by the supreme leader.
Some of the earlier bill's most controversial measures were dropped, including criminalizing VPN use, but critics say the revised text still aims to restrict access, curb anonymity and force foreign platforms to establish a physical presence.
The proposal comes during Iran's war with the United States, after a nearly three-month internet shutdown and a broader security crackdown that observers say has strengthened hard-liners pushing tighter online censorship.
Passage is still uncertain because the bill has drawn objections from the Information and Communication Technology Ministry, despite President Masud Pezeshkian's stated support for easing internet restrictions.