Building Trust by Focusing on Filtering

Gaining Confidence by Focusing on Filtering

Recently, members of Parliament have been reviewing the policies and general principles of the 14th government and its cabinet members. The program of Sattar Hashemi, the proposed Minister of Communications for this government, was reviewed earlier this week. It faced opposition from the Cultural Commission and approval from the Industry Commission.

Meanwhile, Masoud Pezeshkian’s candidacy for the Ministry of Communications has received support from various organizations including the Iran Artificial Intelligence Association, the Supreme Council for Coordination of Labor Unions in the Telecommunications Company, the Telecommunications Industry Syndicate, the National Nasr Organization, and private sector associations. However, the main reasons for parliamentary opposition and support for Sattar Hashemi center on the issue of filtering and his professional and educational background related to information and communications technology.

What Did Opponents and Supporters Say?

Sattar Hashemi presented his plans for the Ministry of Communications to Parliament across six key areas: the development of communications and the National Information Network, the advancement of smart government and the application of new technologies in various industries, the growth of the digital economy, support for the development of content and content services in cyberspace, the expansion of the space industry, and the development of smart postal services.

A major criticism of his program is its lack of clarity on addressing filtering issues. Hashemi only mentioned reforming filtering through discourse without specifying how he plans to achieve this goal. As the time for parliamentary review of the 14th government’s cabinet approaches, the Cultural and Industry Commissions have emerged as key players in evaluating his plans.

During the initial session to assess Sattar Hashemi’s qualifications, Ahmad Rastineh, the spokesperson for the Parliament’s Cultural Commission, highlighted the commission’s opposition to Hashemi’s program. Rastineh stated that after thorough reviews of Hashemi’s plans and qualifications, the commission did not approve his candidacy. He noted that although Hashemi’s plans were positively evaluated in terms of “alignment with current issues and realities,” “realism,” “program clarity,” “transparency of required resources and their provision methods,” “program coherence,” and “program comprehensiveness,” they were rated average in “future-oriented planning” and weak in “measurability.” The commission found that 51% of Hashemi’s proposed programs aligned with high-level documents, and 42% were in agreement, with no significant discrepancies identified.

Despite this, the Cultural Commission concluded that Sattar Hashemi was not qualified to lead the Ministry of Communications. Conversely, Zahra Saeedi, the spokesperson for the Parliament’s Industry and Mines Commission, presented the commission’s supportive view of Hashemi’s plans. Saeedi explained that the commission had reviewed Hashemi’s plans against the Supreme Cultural Council’s resolutions, general policies, and passive defense measures and found them acceptable. Ultimately, Hashemi’s qualifications were approved by the commission.

The Main Points of Opposition

Opponents in Parliament, including Muslim Salehi, the representative from Eqlid, have emphasized that filtering and slow internet speeds are major concerns. Salehi asked whether the promise to lift filtering made by the President is achievable. Valli Dadashi, the spokesperson for the Parliament’s Social Commission, criticized the current state of internet services, questioning why people should have to pay for VPNs and calling for action against the VPN sales mafia.

Hamid Rasaei, a representative of Tehran, Rey, and Shemiranat, and a member of the Cultural Commission, defended the 13th government’s efforts to develop the National Information Network but criticized Hashemi for not focusing enough on strengthening domestic social networks and restricting foreign messaging platforms. Rasaei pointed out ambiguities in Hashemi’s approach and his lack of a clear plan to continue the previous government’s work or address the policies on social networks and foreign platforms. Rasaei also criticized Hashemi for not addressing the issue of foreign platforms that undermine religious values and for not proposing solutions to the issue of unrestricted online spaces.

Rasaei referred to the recent case of Instagram being blocked in Turkey, claiming that Instagram’s refusal to comply with Iranian conditions was due to the inconsistent approach to filtering. However, this situation was resolved when Turkish authorities negotiated with Meta to address their concerns, resulting in the unblocking of Instagram.

Support for Hashemi

On the other hand, Hashemi’s supporters highlight his ability to foster collaboration between the private and public sectors and his relevant educational and professional background as strengths. Ahmad Fatemi, the representative of Babol, noted Hashemi’s experience in various roles and his ability to handle challenges effectively. Mojtaba Zolnouri, the representative of Qom, emphasized Hashemi’s significant impact in IT, e-government, and digital spaces.

Kamal Hosseinpour, the representative of Sardasht, praised Hashemi’s career progression and familiarity with the Ministry of Communications, which he believes will aid in addressing the ministry’s challenges. Mohammad Reza Rezaei-Kouchi, the representative of Jahrom, expressed confidence that Hashemi’s appointment would boost morale and effectiveness within the ministry.

Several private sector organizations have also supported Hashemi. The Chairman of the Supreme Council of Coordination of Labor Unions in the Telecommunications Company of Iran praised Hashemi’s expertise and understanding of the ministry and new technologies. The Iran Artificial Intelligence Association also supported Hashemi’s candidacy, asserting that his appointment would drive technological transformation in the country. The National Nasr Organization, representing the private sector of the digital economy, considered Hashemi a suitable candidate for the Ministry of Communications.

Challenges Ahead

Despite the support, the issue of filtering remains a significant challenge for Hashemi in securing parliamentary approval. Hashemi has emphasized that his priorities include developing the National Information Network, improving fixed internet infrastructure, and expanding communication infrastructure in rural areas. He has also highlighted the need to reform the management of cyberspace, addressing the drawbacks of filtering and the increased use of VPNs, which pose risks to cybersecurity, impose costs on households, and facilitate access to inappropriate content for children.

However, it appears that Hashemi’s approach to filtering will be a key factor in whether he secures the vote of confidence. In a widely shared tweet with the hashtag “Vote of Confidence,” Hashemi compared the role of VPNs in cyberattacks to that of “enemy infiltrators.” Meanwhile, Eisa Zarepour, the Minister of Communications in the 13th government, has encouraged members of the 14th government to use domestic messaging platforms, raising concerns about whether prioritizing and restricting both domestic and foreign platforms will continue.

Ultimately, even if Sattar Hashemi receives the vote of confidence and addresses filtering, it may not be sufficient, as tackling filtering requires a unified effort from the entire 14th government. It remains to be seen whether Hashemi will successfully gain the trust of Parliament members.