Examining the Digital Legacy of Ebrahim Raisi and Promises of the New Government

Ebrahim Raisi's presidency, which lasted three years due to his death, was marked by extensive and often destructive changes in the digital realm. The exponential increase in internet restrictions and widespread violations of citizens' digital rights are among the most significant legacies of this period. Now, in the government of Masoud Pezeshkian, Setar Hashemi has taken office as the Minister of Communications and Information Technology; he is said to be close to Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, the Minister of Communications in Hassan Rouhani's government. From Rouhani's first government to Ebrahim Raisi's and now, the state of internet and related businesses in Iran has experienced significant ups and downs. In 2016, 'Freedom House' referred to the increase in internet speed as one of the transformations in Iranian internet, which can perhaps be examined in the context of other ongoing changes in Iran after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency and Hassan Rouhani's rise as a moderate president. Overall, it can be said that the state of the internet in Rouhani's first government, especially regarding restrictions and filtering of social networks, was better than in later periods, including his second term. During this government, dual management of the internet space became more pronounced. On one hand, Rouhani's government sought to keep the internet space relatively open with an approach that considered economic benefits. On the other hand, parallel movements in other power institutions in the Islamic Republic emerged during this period to suppress and monitor the virtual space, attempting to hinder growth and advancement in the country's internet space under security pretexts. At that time, the government insisted on not filtering Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram, and the law limiting the provision of high-speed internet to home subscriptions and the monopoly on the licenses for the third and fourth generations of mobile internet were also abolished. Another notable point during this period was the activity of startups in Iran; a growing trend that even led some to compare Tehran's status in this regard to 'Silicon Valley.' However, the power institutions in the Islamic Republic could not tolerate this situation and began controlling the activities of startups during the days when technology organizations and companies in Iran were emerging and expanding, which in some cases led to arrests and trials, such as in the case of Emad Sharghi. The final years of Rouhani's government saw the emergence of a plan known as 'Protection' in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, which was a precursor to a more security-oriented and restricted environment; a space that Ebrahim Raisi's government completed with extensive filtering and various restrictions. Ebrahim Raisi's presidency was accompanied by extensive and often destructive changes in the digital realm. Internet restrictions increased exponentially, and widespread violations of citizens' digital rights are among the most significant legacies of this period. During this time, social networks such as Instagram and WhatsApp were eventually filtered, and online businesses faced numerous and damaging problems. The seventh development plan, which was drafted during Raisi's government, threatens users' privacy by strengthening the role of security institutions in the digital realm and requiring executive bodies to collect users' personal data. The plan for tiered internet is another initiative that was anticipated and implemented during Ebrahim Raisi's government; an action that led to digital inequality and deprived various classes of access to technology and information. Although many consider the internet restrictions during Raisi's term a violation of freedom of expression and access to the free flow of information, the significant damage of this filtering and restriction on the country's economy cannot and should not be overlooked. The helicopter crash of Ebrahim Raisi on the last day of Ordibehesht this year marked the end of a season that left some segments of society hopeful that with the arrival of another government, the internet would be rescued from its current chaotic state. Masoud Pezeshkian announced one of the main focuses of his government program as 'internet' and the issue of 'filtering' during debates and election campaigns. However, the President of the fourteenth government of the Islamic Republic instructed his ministers to seriously consider the words of the 'Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic' regarding 'proper management of the virtual space' and the 'freedom' of this space in Iran, referring to the meeting of the government delegation with Khamenei. Setar Hashemi, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology in Pezeshkian's government, is someone whom some experts consider close to Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi; a minister who, during his tenure in Hassan Rouhani's government, while being active on social media, was more focused on implementing the government's overall policies regarding communications. In his programs, Setar Hashemi has emphasized the development of the national information network, completion of fiber optic infrastructure, and support for domestic products such as local phones and operating systems, without addressing users' primary demand for lifting filtering in his programs. At the same time, Hashemi's presence as a supporter of the tiered internet plan has increased concerns about the intensification of this plan and the deprivation of a large part of Iran's population from the flow of free information. So far, Setar Hashemi has not presented a comprehensive program for the current state of the internet space, and thus it can be said that he is not seeking fundamental changes and will merely implement plans that parallel institutions, including the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, approve. The selection of Setar Hashemi as Minister of Communications may generally indicate that the fourteenth government also insists on restrictive and controlling policies in the virtual space; a policy that leads to a deeper digital divide and more limited access to free information.