Techno-Authoritarianism and the Iranian Cyberspace

Right-wing politics in Iran-Year 1388 Hijri-Qom city-Iran Country

Source: Photographer Mustafa Meraji/Wikimedia Commons

In the 21st century, authoritarian regimes have relied on digital tools not only to surveil populations but also to control narratives in times of civil unrest. This has come to be known as techno-authoritarianism, in which the Islamic Republic of Iran stands at the forefront.

The recent escalation between Israel and Iran, dubbed the “12-Day War,” has marked not only a shift in regional power dynamics in the Middle East but also amplified Iran’s digital repression campaign. In response to what Iranian authorities claim are safety measures against cyber threats, the nation has been plunged into a near-total internet blackout. According to Cloudflare, a cybersecurity firm, internet traffic in Iran fell by ~97%, cutting off a population of nearly 90 million people from the global internet.

Iranian officials justified the blackout by citing concern over cyberattacks from Israeli-linked groups like Predatory Sparrow. Blackouts and other repressive tools, though, have been routinely employed by the Islamic regime to maintain strict control over the information civilians have access to. 

Since 2011, the Iranian government has developed the National Information Network, colloquially known as the “Halal Internet.” The intranet is designed to keep domestic internet traffic within Iran’s borders, heavily restricting global connectivity.

Iran’s use of digital suppression dates back to the 2009 Green Movement, where protestors demanded the removal of presidential elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from office. This was the first time in Iranian dissent history that social media was mainstream enough to mobilize mass protest. The regime, though, responded with mass arrests of online activists, setting a dangerous precedent for future online suppression.

Iran’s digital crackdown escalated following the November 2019 fuel protest, where the regime implemented a week-long internet blackout. This created an information vacuum, where the regime was able to violently suppress dissent and kill hundreds of protestors, while leaving international audiences in the dark. Since then, the Iranian government has introduced more sophisticated censorship methods, such as the User Protection Bill passed in 2020, which mandates internet service providers to block virtual private networks (VPNs) and other circumvention tools.

This digital repression further intensified following the 2022 protests around the killing of Jina (Mahsa) Amini, a young Kurdish-Iranian woman detained by the morality police. The regime responded by blocking apps like WhatsApp and Instagram, which were previously among the few uncensored platforms Iranians could use. Additionally, authorities removed access to the Google Play Store, affecting 90% of Iranians who use Android devices.

While limiting citizen access to information, the regime actively weaponizes cyberspace to spread state propaganda. State-sponsored networks are tasked with flooding digital spaces, such as mischaracterizing the Women, Life, Freedom protests as a separatist movement driven by minority militias (such as the Kurdish Peshmerga). When Iranians are not cut off from global platforms, government-associated troll farms inundate online spaces with a stream of disinformation. These campaigns seek to sow confusion and fracture public unity amongst Iranian civil society.

The country’s digital repression is deeply entrenched in tyrannical partnerships, particularly with China. The Iranian regime has fostered a relationship with the Chinese company Tiandy Technologies, which supplies surveillance technologies to other authoritarian regimes. Tiandy has been found to supply Iran with facial recognition and mass-monitoring technologies, which are used to identify and monitor anti-government protestors and dissidents. This partnership reflects China’s broader Belt and Road Initiative, where surveillance tools are exported throughout the Global South to bolster strategic partnerships. 

Diplomatic pressure and sanctions have not withstood Iran’s digital repression infrastructure. While signaling disapproval, these tools do not move the needle too significantly towards digital freedom. Instead, circumvention tools better equip Iranians to bypass state censorship. One such circumvention tool is The Onion Router (TOR), which routes internet traffic through encrypted servers. This is meant to enable Iranians access to blocked platforms and avoid detection by the regime. Allowing Iranians to have steady communication with international actors is increasingly important during times of civil unrest and protest in the country.

Organizations like the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and its affiliate, the Open Technology Fund (OTF), have played a crucial role in securing internet freedom for suppressed populations, including Iranians. To counter Iran’s techno-authoritarianism, a well-organized international strategy is crucial. The most enduring way that the international community can help Iranians battle against digital repression is through the continued backing and support of such programs. Concentrating resources into these programs can help enable Iranians to remain connected, uplifted, and informed online.