internet in chains: the front line of state repression in iran

8/10/2019 Internet in Chains: The Front Line of State Repression in Iran

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About UsThe International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprot

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The Campaign investigates and documents rights violations occurring throughout Iran, relying on rst-

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Table of Contents@A$B:#&C$ ?:77*%.

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becoming more systemic and less detectable, posing an ever-greater

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are thus a permanent minority and not able to have a denitive impact on the

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will ensure use of the government SSL certicates. Second, authorities are

continuing their ltering activities, with a focus on mobile phone applications,E"+C" ".4# 6#C'5# .( +(C.1+(=


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http://xamin.ir/en/http://saina.matma.ir/http://goo.gl/pbm1D3http://khabaronline.ir/detail/214889/ict/5121


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state ofces in 2013, specifying a six-month implementation period in which

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progress. Iranian ofcials had also promised to launch the Zamin (Earth)

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organization is critical to its ability to function extra-judicially, carrying out

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by Khamenei have been able to pursue their intensied control over the

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Rouhani has rhetorically promoted Internet

freedom; it is part and parcel of his

overriding policy objective, namely, the

economic revitalization and modernization

of the country.


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15

Introduction

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The Internet rst became available in Iran in 1993 with the start of dial-up services.77K4#& )"# (#I) ,#E A#.&1D

there were no clear guidelines for ltering sites and ltering remained relatively limited, with only intermittent

+(1).(C#1 ', 6+11+>#() 1+)#1D .1 )"# .B)"'&+)+#1 >+> (') A#) .


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http://internet.ir/crime_index.html


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http://old.mehrnews.com/fa/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsId=1554270


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The Iranian government has aggressively

stopped independent organizations from

ascertaining information on the number

of sites that have been ltered, let alone

allowing a denitive listing of which sites

have been blocked.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/apr/14/iran.topstories3http://old.mehrnews.com/fa/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsId=784979http://old.mehrnews.com/fa/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsId=784979http://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/apr/14/iran.topstories3


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that the ltering of WhatsApp be stopped and we have no plans at present to block any mobile-based

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the country. While exports of personal communications tools and services to Iran are now allowed, nancial

transactions remain difcult due to banking sanctions, and Iranians are still blocked from making purchases

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allocations and technical implementation. Iranian ofcials have publicly blamed delays in the project on the

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of Iran, through its issuance and distribution of these certicates, has the key to openand accessany

account that uses the national SSL certicates. The stamp of approval then, which appears to guarantee

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THE NATIONAL BROWSER

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As more and more people use Irans Saina browserand the state-issued SSL certicates contained

thereinthe national certicates become recognized as trusted, due to their increased usage. This process

is particularly insidious, because at a certain point, root certication is achieved and computers will no longer

show an error message when using these certicates. The national SSL certicates will thus allow the Iranian

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international SSL security certicates, others do not use any SSL certicate at all. As a result these accounts

. C'50


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to pursue online activists. One Tehran-based company, Bayan, publicized FATAs attempts to illegally obtain

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13, 2010, General Ali Fazli, the Commander of the Revolutionary Guards, formally conrmed the existence of

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2011, Mojtaba Zolnour, the deputy commander of the Guards at the time told the weekly Noh-e-Day that

while Iran was new in the eld of cyber war, the use of the Cyber Army had resulted in successes in hacking,

disabling, and ltering enemy sites.[:

The Iranian Cyber Army has taken specic responsibility for hacking websites such as Radio Zamaneh,

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as posing a potential challenge to the authority of the governmentand its ability to function extra-judicially,

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In addition to the arrest of the Narenji members, the public relations ofce of the Revolutionary Guards in

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0' +(1+># 2&.(?

Iran represents a large potential market for such rms: its population is young and 77 million strong and its

Internet penetration is signicant and growing steadily. A physical presence inside the country would open up

sales of software and services that are currently impossible for these rms. For Iran, the benet would be the

ability to promote terms and a working relationship that would require these rms to comply with their Internet

policies in such areas as ltering sites or limitations on content. Moreover, if the company is physically inside

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E+)" 5.`'& 2()#&(#) C'50.(+#1D +(C+(= Q''=


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a number of senior government ofcials, including not only Rouhani but his foreign minister Javad Zarif and

')"#&1 .1 E#


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for the presence of administration ofcials on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter and for their

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the presidency, reecting the importance he gives to Internet issues and the Councils decisions regarding

them. Thus Rouhani clearly has avenues of inuence, as the WhatsApp incident revealed, and it remains an

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Development of Irans National Internet is

being led and implemented by the Ministry of

Telecommunications, which is under the direct

authority of the executive branch, and this

Ministrys budget is allocated by Rouhani.
http://www.mehrnews.com/news/2169418/%D9%81%DB%8C%D8%B3-%D8%A8%D9%88%DA%A9-%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%87%D9%85%D9%87-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%84-%D8%AF%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%B3%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AF-%D9%81%DB%8C%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%AA%DB%8Chttp://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/05/iran-rouhani-battled-judiciary-internet-censorship.htmlhttp://aftabnews.ir/fa/news/244235http://goo.gl/v7NCukhttp://tci.ir/s40/page5.aspx?lang=Fahttp://www.iranhumanrights.org/2014/08/makarem-internethttp://www.iranhumanrights.org/2014/08/makarem-internethttp://tci.ir/s40/page5.aspx?lang=Fahttp://goo.gl/v7NCukhttp://aftabnews.ir/fa/news/244235http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/05/iran-rouhani-battled-judiciary-internet-censorship.htmlhttp://www.mehrnews.com/news/2169418/%D9%81%DB%8C%D8%B3-%D8%A8%D9%88%DA%A9-%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%87%D9%85%D9%87-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%84-%D8%AF%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%B3%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AF-%D9%81%DB%8C%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%AA%DB%8C


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42 2()#&(#) +( F".+(15+(+1)&.)+'( 0#> ,'&E.&> .(> ".1 1' ,.& 1BCC##>#> +( )"+1 +(+)+.)+4#? 2( . >+C) B)).< '(

-#0)#56#& 9D 789:D /'B".(+ 1.+>D cJ# C.((') 1"B) )"# =.)#1 ', )"# E'& )' 'B& A'B(= =#(#&.)+'(m? K(C#D

)"# E.1 . )+5# )".) 1'5#'(# E'B "+># "+1 &.>+' .) "'5#D +, "# ".> '(#D )' B1# +) `B1) ,'& 5+(+1)&.)+'(D E"#( )"# E.1 5+(+1)&.)+'( ".1 ,.C+ )"# .))#(>.(C# ',

2&.(+.( #I0#&)1D .C.>#5+C1D .(> 'B&(.# .(> #I0.(>

)"# C'B()&Ab1 2()#&(#) +(,&.1)&BC)BD .(> '&)1 1B==#1) )".) )"# /'B".(+ ='4#&(5#() +1 )&A+(= )' 6&+(=

J#1)#&( C'50.(+#1 +()' )"# 0&'`#C)?]^

!"# /'B".(+ .>5+(+1)&.)+'(b1 E+ 3.5#1 .(> 3B56#&1 V2F;33WD )"# J'& -B55+) '( )"# 2(,'&5.)+'(

-'C+#)A VJ-2-WD .(> )"# 2()#&(#) Q'4#&(.(C# %'&B5 V2Q%WD 0#()1 .( '00'&)B(+)A ,'& C+4+< 1'C+#)A +( 2&.(

to participate professionally and present a credible voice on Internet freedom issues in a multi-stakeholder

process. This process will help promote Iranian ofcials accountability regarding their international

'6


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43

Overall, the Iranian state seems to have a conicted relationship towards the Internetembracing it when

+) .>4.(C#1 . >#1+> .=#(>.D C'()&'+CB 21&.#4'C.)#1 ', 2()#&(#) ,#>'5D 6')" +(1+># .(> 'B)1+># 2&.(D "'0# )".) /'B".(+ E+


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2&.( ".1 1"'E( )".) +, )"# 2&.(+.( ='4#&(5#() +1 .6 C#(1'&1"+0 +( )"# C'B()&A E+ V. ('E >B# )' 1.(C)+'(1 5.A E###>D )"#1#

justications serve only to obscure the main objective. Rather, Irans National Internet project, its continued

ltering activities, and its intensied online monitoring capabilities are aimed at stamping out political or social

.C)+4+15 '(#,#(> .(> 0&'5')# 2()#&(#) ,#>'5 +( 2&.(D .(> B&=#()#,#(> +( E'&> .(> >##> )"# B(+4#&1.< &+=") )' ,#>'5 ', #I0+'( .(> .CC#11 )' +(,'&5.)+'(?
http://en.rsf.org/special-report-on-internet-11-03-2013,44197.htmlhttps://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/07/un-human-rights-council-reaffirms-promotion-and-protection-human-rights-onlinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_Islamic_Republic_of_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_Islamic_Republic_of_Iranhttps://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/07/un-human-rights-council-reaffirms-promotion-and-protection-human-rights-onlinehttp://en.rsf.org/special-report-on-internet-11-03-2013,44197.html


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45

Endnotes

9?Fullling Promises: A Human Rights Roadmap for Rouhani,(')*$'#)&+'#, .#/0#&1' 2+$ 3"/#' 4&15)6 &'($#'7;B=B1) 79D 789\8http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2013/08/introduction-rouhani/?

7?Supreme Leader Appoints Members of the Supreme Cyberspace Council, Ofcial Website of Ayatollah95#/*'*&7 R.&C" [D 7897Dhttp://www.leader.ir/langs/fa/index.php?p=contentShow&id=9213?

\?Full Text of the Computer Crimes Law,Ofcial Website of the Working Group to Determine Instances of.$&/&'#, .+')*') +' )5* (')*$'*)7http://internet.ir/law.html?

:?Fifth Five Year Development Plan of the Islamic Republic of Iran (1390-1394),Islamic Parliament Research.*')*$7http://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/790196?

Z?40 Billion Tomans Spent on Creation of National Data Centers,Khabaronline,R.A 79D 7897D

http://khabaronline.ir/detail/214889/ict/5121?

^?Obtaining SSL Security Certicates Made Obligatory,Ministry of I.C.T., Islamic Republic Post Company,3'4#56#& 7:D 789\Dhttp://goo.gl/pbm1D3?

[?Website of the Iranian Web Browser Siana,http://saina.matma.ir/?

Y?Website of the Zamin Operating System, http://xamin.ir/en/

]?Government Bans Use of Windows; Linux is Approved,Islamic Republic of Iran News Network, -#0)#56#&]D 789\Dhttp://goo.gl/b2zTsS?

98?Coordinating National Operating System with Cloud Computing; Second Phase of Zamin Started, Mehr News Agency, M#C#56#& \9D 789\Dhttp://www.mehrnews.com/TextVersionDetail/2066094 ?

99?Legal VPNS to Be Soon Available,Mehr News Agency, %#6&B.&A ZD 789\7

http://www.mehrnews.com/detail/News/1800539?

97? http://www.vpn.ir

9\?Access to TOR Blocked: A New Step Towards Restricting Safe Access to the Internet?(')*$'#)&+'#,.#/0#&1' 2+$ 3"/#' 4&15)6 &' ($#'7 aB


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46 2()#&(#) +( F".+(1


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47

:^?Ahmadi Moghaddam: Google Search Engine is a Spying Tool,Mehr News Agency, a.(B.&A 98D 78977http://old.mehrnews.com/fa/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsId=1506089?

:[?40 Billion Tomans Spent on Creation of National Data Centers,Khabaronline,R.A 79D 78977

http://khabaronline.ir/detail/214889/ict/5121?

:Y?National Data Centers: A plan from Yesterday until Tomorrow,IT News Agency, 3'4#56#& 98D 7897D5))0;


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48 2()#&(#) +( F".+(1.Persian,-#0)#56#& ^D 7899D http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2011/09/110906_l39_mehdi-sarami_iran_cyber_.&5+?1")5


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49

-#0)#56#& 9D 789:Dhttp://goo.gl/BbD5dX?

]^? Tender Number 93/10 for Development of Fiber Optics Network Infrastructure, http://www.tic.ir/fa/tender/302?

][?Special Report on Internet Surveillance, Focusing on 5 Governments and 5 Companies:Enemies of the Internet, Reporters Without Borders, 9Z R.&C"D 789\D http://en.rsf.org/special-report-on-internet-11-03-2013,44197.html.

]Y?UN Human Rights Council Reafrms Promotion and Protection of Human Rights Online,Electronic:$+')&*$ :+"'%#)&+'7 aB


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EEE?+&.("B5.(&+=")1?'&=
http://www.iranhumanrights.org/http://www.iranhumanrights.org/


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Internet in Chains

The Front Line of State Repression in Iran

Internet in Chains: The Front Lines of State Repression in Iranpresents an in-depth examination of the

2&.(+.( ='4#&(5#()b1 +()#(1+,A+(= #,,'&)1 )' C#(1'& .(> C'()&'< )"# 2()#&(#)? !"# '&) 0#()1 . >#).+

.(.#4#

internet in chains: the front line of state repression in iran

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