MYTH vs. FACT: Censorship in Iran
/Updated 2021 by Research Associate Connor Bulgrin
Original version from 2017 by Research Associate Ariane Gottlieb
MYTH: The Iranian government exercises strict control over the press and tightly censors the Internet and media, making communication with the outside world virtually nonexistent. This censorship makes it impossible for Iranians to publicly criticize their government or obtain international news and perspectives on current events.
FACT: In reality, this is only a partial understanding of access to information in Iran. While the harsh policies and tactics used against journalists in the country are difficult to overstate, Iranians have found many ways to circumvent state censorship, such as bypassing the Internet firewall or accessing international channels via illegal satellite dishes. A complete understanding of media and censorship in Iran requires distinguishing government laws from the practices of average Iranians.
Press Restrictions:
When it comes to freedom of the media and Internet, it is undeniable that the Iranian government has implemented many restrictive laws and used force and intimidation to oppose political or cultural dissent. Freedom House, an American NGO dedicated to political freedom and human rights, has labeled Iranians’ access to the Internet as “not free,” giving the Islamic Republic a “Freedom on the Net” score of 15 out of 100 (with 100 being the most free). This score is indicative of the many government-imposed obstacles to Internet access and content. These include violations of Internet users’ rights by the government that make it difficult and dangerous for citizens or news organizations to criticize the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, or other taboo topics like the government’s handling of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The government’s power to restrict freedom of the press is rooted in the country’s Constitution; Article 24 calls for press freedom, except in cases deemed “detrimental to the fundamental principles of Iran or the rights of the public.” The 1986 Press Law reaffirms this logic, stating that the news media should enjoy freedom of speech, so long as it does not “violate Islamic principles or the civic code.” The government has made use of its power over the press, and the result for journalism has been chilling. In December 2020, the Iranian government imprisoned 15 journalists and killed one of them, Roohollah Zam. As of March 2021, 21 journalists are imprisoned in Iran. The experience for imprisoned journalists – many of whom languish in Evin Prison – remains devastating. They can be subjected to whippings, solitary confinement, or denied medical care or family visits. The result has been a reduction in news coverage and a growing trend of self-censorship among journalists. However, despite the challenges and risks of conducting news coverage in Iran, many centrist and reformist news outlets still operate amidst threats of shutdown or arrest. Additionally, the country has between 60,000 and 110,000 blogs, one of the largest numbers in the Middle East.
President Hassan Rouhani has called for greater freedom of information, stating that “the freedom and rights of people have been ignored but those of rulers have been emphasized.” He has also suggested that free expression and media will incentivize young people to get their news from state TV rather than illegally turning to foreign services. Yet, despite promises to loosen restrictions, little legal reform has been enacted. Although the number of journalists imprisoned declined from 2012 to 2017, a new uptrend has emerged in the last few years. Furthermore, the government’s ability to censor information and repress unfavorable news coverage remains strong and may have strengthened in recent years. Still, there are signs of improvement. Some journalists say that pressure has subsided since the difficult period following the 2009 Green Movement. Previously avoided topics have made their way into the public sphere. By 2013, news publications began openly covering American officials, sanctions, and referencing detained opposition leaders. As one anonymous reformist editor-in-chief put it, “there is pressure and there is self-censorship. However, the atmosphere has notably changed.”
Censors, Firewalls, and Circumvention:
Given the official restrictions and limited media access in Iran, many Iranians receive their information via international media services, obtained through illegal satellite dishes. These dishes are not looked upon fondly by the state. General Mohammad Reza Naghdi, the Commander of the Basij has said, “the truth is that most satellite channels...deviate the society’s morality and culture,” even alleging that satellite dishes increase divorces, addiction, and societal insecurity. Given the official government stance against satellite dishes, authorities will periodically conduct raids, charge fines up to $2,800, and publicly destroy them in order to deter citizens from using them. Authorities also occasionally try to block signals from specific European satellites. In 2009, for example, French broadcasting companies were forced to move BBC Persian Television from a satellite, “Hot Bird 6,” to another signal to circumvent a sudden ban.
Yet, despite the official hard-line stance of the government against them, the use of satellite dishes in Iran is widespread, with an estimated 70% of Iranians using them to access news, entertainment, movies, or television programs. The United States, Dubai, and many European countries broadcast Persian language stations, hoping to reach the Iranian population. Through this content, Iranians hear international perspectives and stories that are not adequately covered domestically. This dynamic was particularly noteworthy during the 2009 Green Revolution. During this movement, the government tightly censored the coverage of protests. Still, Iranians used satellite dishes to view photographs and videos, domestic and foreign developments, and uncensored opinions broadcast on international news outlets.
An analogous work-around for access to censored media also exists on the Internet. The majority of Internet traffic in Iran travels through a central facility where government filters can censor out banned content (e.g., social media, pornographic sites, and some websites for art and news). However, Iranians can bypass these filters using proxy servers or Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Using this technology, much of the country has access to social media, with millions of Iranians using Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Social media use is so commonplace that many politicians have taken to using banned websites to reach their citizens. In 2017, all six presidential candidates used Twitter. Even the Supreme Leader has both a Twitter and an Instagram account.
Access to social media has allowed Iranians to communicate with the outside world, an activity that became so integral to the Green Revolution that it was dubbed a “Twitter Revolution.” Social media has also given Iranians the opportunity to form connections with people whom they would otherwise have little interaction. One heartwarming example was the Facebook movement Israel Loves Iran, composed of Iranians and Israelis who photographed and shared pictures of themselves holding up posters with messages of support to people in the other country.
2019 Internet Blackout
In November 2019, Iranians witnessed the most severe Internet shutdown in their nation’s history. A government decision to raise fuel prices sparked widespread protests to which Iranian security forces responded violently. Almost immediately, citizens began circulating videos of their interactions with members of the security forces online. According to Amnesty International, these videos depicted the use of “firearms, water cannons and tear gas… against unarmed protesters and bystanders.” In an attempt to stop this flow of information, the government ordered Internet Service Providers to shut down, causing Iran’s Internet connectivity to fall to only four percent of its normal levels. While government officials claimed the shutdown was for “national security” purposes, its impacts were far-reaching.
The weeklong Internet shutdown made it incredibly difficult for Iranians to contact their friends and relatives living abroad. Communication ceased without warning, leaving families with no idea when they would again contact one another. The Internet shutdown also ground the economy to a halt. Start-ups, small businesses, and online businesses struggled to keep revenues coming in while expenses mounted. Mohsen Jalalpour, a former president of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, estimated that the shutdown forfeited $1.5 billion of economic activity. The legacy of this shutdown continues to remain in Iranians’ consciousness as they worry it could happen again without warning.
Censorship during the Coronavirus Pandemic
Throughout the pandemic, the Iranian government has again started cracking down on Internet use. After a top advisor to the Supreme Leader died of coronavirus, the government briefly took down the Farsi version of Wikipedia. Social media sites have also been a repeated target for repression. In recent months, the government has blocked the encrypted messaging platform Signal and imprisoned the CEO of Aparat, a video-sharing network similar to Youtube. In September of 2020, the influential conservative lawmaker, Nasrollah Pejmanfar, initiated a draft law seeking military control of the Internet to protect Iranians from “manipulation and false information.” This proposal has received forty signatures in the Iranian parliament and, if passed, would mandate fines and prison sentences for anyone offering access to foreign messaging apps or ways around the government’s restrictions.
The government has also sought to increase its control over Internet use by establishing its own intranet service: the National Information Network (NIN). As of May 2021, the NIN is already 80% complete. This project is accompanied by a newly proposed law that would assign all Iranians an online identification. Together, these two proposals could seriously undermine Iranians’ ability to browse the Internet anonymously. Mahmoud Vaezi, the minister of communications, has already warned that there will come a day when there are no anonymous Internet users in Iran.
U.S. sanctions have also inhibited Iranians’ access to certain Internet services. Iranians are often unable to use international communications tools and services –like Amazon Cloud Web Services, Google Cloud, and Github.– Companies won’t sell their products to them or allow them to use their free services due to fears of violating U.S. sanctions. Although the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has published General License D-1, a provision permitting the sale of “fee-based services and software incident to the exchange of personal communications over the Internet,” companies continue to worry about inadvertently violating U.S. sanctions policy. Consequently, Iranians struggle to access certain web services from either domestic or foreign sources. This dilemma is most harmful to dissident activists who are subject to monitoring, censorship, and repression.
While the Iranian government continues to restrict access to social media, new online platforms continue to emerge as old ones become more difficult to access. Clubhouse, a new audio chat app, is one of the most recent examples. Users openly debate their thoughts on the mandatory hijab, the 2021 elections, and the legitimacy of the Islamic Republic. While some users hide their identities behind online aliases, others use their real names, potentially putting their safety at risk. While the Iranian government is unlikely to endorse the popularity of social media anytime soon, the persistence of Iranians to access these outlets ensures that they will continue to play a role in Iran’s political discourse.
Conclusion
Though the government has implemented stringent and severe measures to limit freedom of speech and access to information, many Iranians have found ways to circumvent these blocks. The highly educated population in Iran has embraced illegal means of accessing foreign news services and social media as part of their everyday lives. According to the Iran Primer, a website from the United States Institute of Peace, “most [Iranian youth] are exposed to global media, ideas and culture through satellite television and the Internet.” When assessing freedom of information in Iran, the global community tends to draw conclusions based on laws and government practice but often neglect to see how average Iranians take it upon themselves to access information, share ideas, and reach out to each other and the world.
