Khamenei tightens grip on social media with Cyber Security Law, fearing its influence in Iran

The Iranian parliament has begun preparing a law to suppress freedoms on social media, just days before the presidential election, as the mullahs fear that social media will play a role in creating an impact that threatens the regime’s survival. The law punishes with dismissal, imprisonment and a fine for those who violate it.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was keen to point out the role of social media on March 21, saying, “All countries of the world manage their cyberspace, and this space can have a significant impact on the country’s situation and future.”

Khamenei’s speech reflects the extent of the Iranian regime’s fear of the impact of social networking sites such as Twitter, Instagram, Telegram, Club House and others. Despite blocking some of these sites in the country, internet users resort to using programs to circumvent authoritarian control of the web.

Tehran MP Reza Taghipour said that 170 parliamentarians had signed the Cyber Security Law, pointing out that it was time to review the parliament’s open court in order to pass the law.

The law to be passed by the Iranian parliament subjects all social media to a guillotine and a security fist, and it establishes duties and responsibilities for supervising the activities of access and hosting service providers mentioned in the chapter on computer crimes of the Iranian Penal Code and Article 10 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Violators of the provisions of Memorandums 1 and 2 of Article 14 shall be punished with temporary dismissal with deprivation from working in government jobs from six months to two years.

The law punishes with imprisonment of the sixth degree or with a fine or with both penalties for whoever attempts, without observing the provisions of Article 2 of the law, to provide social messengers and provide access to them by violating the blocking procedures.

Read the complete article at: The Portal Center

Also Read: IRGC forms group to monitor internet in Iran as election approaches

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