Iran Creates New Body to Review Internet Access During Ongoing Shutdown
Iran has established the Specialised Headquarters for Organising and Guiding Iran’s Cyberspace with First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref appointed to lead it. The move comes 11 weeks into a near-total internet blackout that began after the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel on February 28.
Al JazeeraIran is establishing a new government body to review internet policy as a near-total nationwide shutdown enters its 11th week. President Masoud Pezeshkian announced on Wednesday the creation of the Specialised Headquarters for Organising and Guiding Iran’s Cyberspace.
First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref was appointed to head the entity. Pezeshkian said he expects Aref to create institutional cohesion, align policies among relevant bodies and prevent parallel work in managing the country’s cyberspace. Aref is also tasked with devising a roadmap to overhaul cyberspace governance and reviewing the efficiency of the secretariat of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace and its subsidiary, the National Cyberspace Center.
The Supreme Council of Cyberspace was established in 2012 to govern Iran’s internet landscape. The council and its current secretary have restricted internet access based on security considerations. Pezeshkian’s decision to review policy comes after a near-total online blackout affecting more than 90 million citizens that began on February 28, when the war with the United States and Israel started.
The shutdown is now the longest nationwide internet outage in the world.
Since the war began, most Iranians have been limited to a slow intranet that supports only state-approved local applications and content. Virtual private networks offer the main way to reach unrestricted internet services but are often expensive and subject to disruption.
Security forces have also sought to locate Starlink satellite connections. The Supreme National Security Council has launched a state-distributed service called Internet Pro. The service costs several times more than regular internet packages and provides slightly higher-tier access.
