Iran passes draft law for further internet restrictions
Tehran
The Iranian parliament has approved a draft law to combat misinformation on social media by a large majority, the news portal Khabar Online reported on Sunday.
The law is intended to ensure that false information on the internet, which could lead to public concern, especially in times of crisis, is penalized, Khabar Online reported, adding that high fines, bans on work for journalists and imprisonment are planned for violators.
Critics see the law merely as a pretext for further internet censorship and restriction of freedom of expression and information in the country.
Many Iranians on social media also fear that with the new law the regime wants to reclaim its monopoly on news channels to present only its own version of events.
In recent years, the internet has shifted the role of state media and controlled reporting.
Security gaps in 12-day war with Israel The hardliners in the country, who also dominate the parliament, justify the new law by claiming that the security gaps in the 12-day war with Israel were due to the internet and, in particular, applications like WhatsApp.
They are therefore calling for a national internet, where only access to state-controlled sites is allowed and external websites are blocked - thus also addressing the security gaps.
Clergy oppose the internet The country's Shiite clergy generally view the internet as a threat to the country's theocratic ruling system. According to the clerics, many apps are controlled by Iran's foreign enemies.
Despite the warnings, almost the entire political leadership of the country is active on banned platforms like X, Facebook and Instagram.
A large proportion of the more than 90 million Iranians has so far ignored the massive internet bans and bypasses the blocks with virtual private network (VPN) connections. Such VPN tunnels can give the impression that a user is in another country.
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