Calls grow on Iranian gov’t for transparency in internet filtering policies

Farhikhtegan newspaper, in an article on Thursday, warned that the public’s sensitivity towards the issue overshadowed by heavy filtering is increasing, adding it is expected that the government will address the longstanding internet problems more swiftly.

The newspaper reported that the first session of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace of the administration was held on Wednesday to address the issues in the cyberspace domain, especially filtering.

Sattar Hashemi, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, has been facing questions about the issue since the first day he took office.

On Tuesday, Hashemi clarified that lifting internet filtering is not an immediate possibility and emphasized the complexity and time required for such a change.

Since people rely on the internet for a significant part of their lives, the importance of the internet has doubled, the newspaper wrote.

Over the past decade, various ministers of communications have pinned the blame on various issues like outdated infrastructure, Western sanctions, network traffic, and filtering.

Farhikhtegan noted that a significant part of the public’s dissatisfaction with filtering policies is due to the lack of transparency on the issue and advised the ministry of communications to seek input from experts and be transparent, so “the public will understand that progress is being made.”