The Jomhouri-e Eslami daily argued that filtering, promoted for years under the banner of “protecting culture and morality,” has instead deepened the gap between policymakers and citizens.
The paper noted that more than 80 percent of Iranian internet users rely on virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass restrictions, with the real figure possibly even higher.
“Filtering, even if introduced with good intentions, has produced only negative outcomes,” the article stated, pointing to widespread lawbreaking, exposure to unsafe software, and billions of tomans in extra costs for households and businesses.
VPN sellers, it added, are among the only beneficiaries, while free services often open doors to foreign intelligence agencies.
The editorial described filtering as a cultural, psychological, economic, and even security burden, urging officials to abandon restrictive measures in favor of transparency, trust-building, and improving the quality of domestic platforms.
“Insistence on filtering,” it concluded, “only widens the rift between government and society.”