Experts Warn; Information Security Bill Will Increase 'Digital Repression' and Develop Russian Platforms in Iran

The bill for cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian government in the field of information security has raised concerns about increased digital repression in Iran as it enters the Majlis (Parliament). This bill, which was approved by the Security Commission of the Majlis at the end of Aban (November) according to Tejarat News and is awaiting consideration in the open session, could lead to strengthening filtering infrastructure in the country or jeopardizing individuals' information security on the internet. It is expected that, given the trend of approving similar bills such as the Protection Plan and the violation of user privacy within the framework of the Seventh Development Plan, this bill will also be approved without any reductions. Observers have noted that this raises concerns about the content of the bill and the effects of cooperation between the two countries in the field of information security. The technology platform 'Zoomit' has revealed that the Iran-Russia agreement on information security, despite not yet being approved by the Majlis, is already being implemented. It added that cooperation documents between the two countries have been signed, and for some time, both sides have been advancing their cooperation by visiting each other's countries. The Iran-Russia agreement on information security, signed in 1399 (2020) in Moscow between then-Foreign Minister Zarif and the Russian government, was sent to the Majlis in Tir (July) 1402 (2023) as a bill for cooperation between the two governments in the field of information security. This bill contains interpretable and ambiguous articles such as 'main threats in the field of information security', 'protection of information', and 'main areas of bilateral cooperation', which has angered users by legitimizing the presence of Russian technology in controlling digital access. Hamed Bidy, a digital activist residing in Tehran, warned on X (formerly Twitter) that this bill contains 'Cold War' rhetoric and, focusing on the internet, will lead to 'the development of Russian platforms' and 'the strengthening of filtering infrastructure'. Mohammad Jafar Natanakar, a legal expert and university professor, expressed concern that Russia might seize Iran's communication and information engineering. In his critique of this bill to Zoomit, he stated that the condition for creating such agreements is that the countries must be equal, emphasizing, 'We must be cautious that this information is not exchanged in a way that allows Russia to exert control over our country in various ways and engineer certain matters.' Natanakar added that the protocols of this agreement are broadly interpretable and could lead to the outflow of valuable information from the country in the future. He pointed out the insecure state of Iran's internet network, evidenced by numerous recent cyberattacks, and assessed such contracts as incorrect and concerning. Saeed Soozangar, a cybersecurity expert, discussed the security risks of this agreement, stating that the structure of free internet in Russia has not been preserved at all, and 'our main concern is that in addition to the government, which may want to use this structure for control, the Russian government could also exert the same control over the people.' This cybersecurity expert warned that the two countries are not on equal footing, comparing the vastness of the Russian market and economy to Iran's, and added that even if we cooperate with Russia in creating restrictions, we cannot have tools like the Yandex search engine. Soozangar stated regarding the execution of this bill: 'We are bringing restrictions into the country, but economic opportunities and knowledge are not entering our country, and this only creates oppression.' Experts warn that the information security sought by the Iranian government in this bill means more control over the people and, in an effort to prevent information from falling into Western hands, hands over citizens' security to the East, which is much less secure. This bill has 9 articles and one appendix, with some of its main titles being 'main threats in the field of information security', 'main areas of bilateral cooperation', 'general principles of cooperation', 'forms and mechanisms of cooperation', 'protection of information', and 'financing'. Some areas of cooperation between the two countries mentioned in this bill that have provoked reactions include 'information exchange and cooperation in law enforcement to prevent, detect, combat, investigate, and prosecute crimes related to the use of information and communication technologies for terrorist and criminal purposes'. Other criticisms from experts regarding the bill's focal points include phrases such as 'information exchange between the competent authorities of the parties in the field of information security' and 'assistance in the areas of knowledge and information technology transfer, capacity building, development of capacities, and training and examining the possibility of investment in information security infrastructure based on the laws of the parties'. It is expected that as the bill for cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian government in the field of information security is presented in the Majlis, reactions from critics of this bill will also increase.