Iranian Minister Calls Internet Blocking Policies ‘Acceptable’

In an interview with the Shargh newspaper, Isa Zarepour remarked, "The same logic prevails even in countries that claim to uphold freedom of speech. Accepting a country's laws means abiding by them; otherwise, it's natural for restrictions to be enforced."

Zarepour claimed that Instagram played a “significant” role in amplifying the "riots" of 2022, referring to the widespread public protests which Iranian authorities consistently label as such. The protests were in response to the death of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody for allegedly defying hijab regulations, sparking the Woman Life Freedom movement.

He further stressed the necessity of regulating platforms that "do not adhere to their own rules and jeopardize national security."

Additionally, he defended his crackdown of internet usage during the 2022 uprisings, calling it one of the "good events" of his tenure, despite widespread reports of internet blackouts and the shutdown of SMS services during the anti-government protests.

The government's actions included cutting off access to major social media platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp and cracking down to social media criticism of the government with thousands already arrested for charges including threatening state security.

Zarepour called allegations of intentional disruptions by the Ministry of Communications unfounded.

According to the Freedom on the Net 2023 report by Freedom House, Iran ranks sixty-eighth out of seventy countries in internet freedom.

Since the 2022 uprising, not only have dissident voices been targeted but millions of Iranians have been plunged further into poverty as the platforms they relied on for e-commerce, especially small businesses in rural areas, have been cut off.