During a session on November 8, the Parliament approved a key clause of the Seventh Development Plan, which grants extensive powers to the state’s security and intelligence apparatus for monitoring private lives.
The approved clause (b) of Article 75, titled “Monitoring People’s Lifestyle,” received 162 votes in favor against 10, with 10 abstentions from a total of 220 representatives present. It mandates executive agencies and data holders to provide comprehensive data continuously and online to a newly established system.
This system, known as the “Continuous Monitoring and Assessment of Public Culture, People’s Lifestyle, Media Authority, and the Country’s Communication Situation,” aims to study lifestyle trends and understand cultural and communication transformations in Iranian society.
This move raises significant privacy concerns, especially considering Article 25 of Iran’s constitution, which prohibits actions like phone call recording, eavesdropping, surveillance, and censorship unless legally permitted. However, the regime’s history of prioritizing state preservation over individual privacy rights casts doubt on the practical implementation of these constitutional protections.
#Iran News in Brief
In a recent wave of oppressive actions by the regime, Ahmadreza Radan, the Commander-in-Chief of State Security Forces, announced that a plan is being implemented to deal with #women’s dress code using surveillance cameras and #AI.https://t.co/qdaY0w4aYb pic.twitter.com/SxfwCbUaFm— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) June 17, 2023
Tejarat News reported that this provision would obligate domestic platforms to report extensive personal details of users, including movements, transactions, and even supermarket orders. Additionally, this information is to be sourced from the Statistical Center of Iran and user data within domestic platforms.
In Iran, online service providers are often compelled to surrender user data to the government, facilitating surveillance and crackdowns on dissidents and activists. The regime also invests heavily in acquiring foreign surveillance technologies to extract information from platforms outside its control. Western media and intelligence agencies have reported increased Iranian cyber activities targeting both domestic and foreign entities, highlighting the regime’s substantial investments in Chinese and German surveillance technology.
Significantly, instances such as the December 19, 2022, CNN report on the arrest of protesters using Telegram chat and phone log tracking, and the January 17 Washington Post revelation about Iran’s development of a mobile surveillance system, underscore the regime’s intensified surveillance efforts.
The MEK’s Growing Influence Sparks Iran Regime’s Fear and Desperationhttps://t.co/2cUTDRbhXp
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 23, 2023
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in February 2018 exposed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Ministry of Intelligence and Security’s efforts in mass surveillance through state-produced mobile apps. Amidst growing dissent, the regime is aggressively seeking ways to identify and disrupt anti-regime activities.
State media reports and a notable May 2020 article from the state-run website ‘Rahyafteha’ highlight the regime’s concern over the Iranian Resistance’s influence, particularly among the youth, stressing the need for vigilance against what it terms as “the hypocrites” (a derogatory term for the People’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK)
As Iran portrays itself as a regional power and counters threats to its authority, the intensification of surveillance measures reflects its desperation to maintain control amidst a backdrop of increasing domestic and international challenges.
MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI (Twitter & Facebook), and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTu
