How the Islamic Republic Utilizes Telegram for Its Purposes

The findings of the "Digital Security Emergency Help Line" team at Filterban indicate that a network of Telegram channels is recruiting individuals in favor of the Islamic Republic under the guise of publishing criminal content. These Telegram channels include those with sexual tendencies towards children (pedophilia), non-consensual pornography, and the promotion of sexual violence, but the main goal of these channels is different. By publishing this content, they attract individuals interested in these topics for two purposes aligned with the policies of the Islamic Republic: one is to promote and disseminate the government's political propaganda, and the other is to organize them as a force to attack political opponents and civil activists in Iran. The fourth part of "Layer Seven" attempts to analyze this issue, examining Telegram's performance in this area and explaining examples of these channels' activities. Telegram was introduced to the world in 2013 with the slogan "freedom of expression and privacy." This application is also recognized as a "leading platform" technically, with Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, emphasizing the creation of a secure and private communication space from the beginning. However, the question arises whether this "unconditional freedom" is always beneficial for society. Many digital activists believe that Telegram and its founder are aware of the presence of harmful users on their platform. Civil society has repeatedly pointed this out to Durov's team in the past. Similar companies like Facebook and Google have implemented policies in line with human rights standards regarding content moderation and sharing information with governments over the years, but Telegram has not adopted such policies. The second criticism of Telegram is the lack of full encryption on this platform, meaning that messages are not fully protected within this application, and there is actually a lack of "regular governance measures." Telegram's management's neglect of full encryption has raised concerns among users about the fate of their data. The lack of full encryption raises concerns that Telegram's managers could disclose user information under pressure from governments or irresponsible individuals. Many digital rights lawyers believe this issue makes Pavel Durov vulnerable to requests and pressures from governments worldwide. Although Durov has previously emphasized that in many cases, they have acted against Telegram channels that have crossed red lines and whose operations do not align with values such as freedom of expression and privacy protection, there are many instances that contradict his statements. Iranian digital rights activists have previously noticed a recurring pattern on Telegram. Channels with disturbing, violent content, and even pedophilia have been systematically recreated and expanded. These channels not only disseminate harmful content but also serve the propaganda of the Islamic Republic in a coordinated manner. Activists reported these channels to Telegram and called for their closure, but each time one of these channels was blocked, a new channel with similar content appeared under different names and tricks, as if there were a powerful invisible network behind them preventing their activities from stopping. Filterban's report on channels aligned with the Islamic Republic has found evidence that some Telegram channels with sexual content and violence promotion operate in line with the Islamic Republic's policies. These channels, especially in foreign and regional policy areas, not only align with the Iranian government but also act as a tool for disseminating misinformation and disinformation in multiple instances. Additionally, these channels actively publish a lot of content against civil and political activists. They also promote applications titled Bomber, allowing users to send mass and harassing text messages and phone calls to activists and opponents of the Islamic Republic, putting them under psychological pressure and systematic, targeted harassment. These channels disclose the private information of political and civil activists and encourage their members to attack them. These attacks include threats, phone harassment, and even public humiliation of victims. For example, these channels published the phone numbers of individuals like Hossein Ronaghi and his mother, asking their members to create disturbances for them using harmful tools. Some of these channels have also added "extortion" to their illegal activities. In several new channels established in recent weeks on Telegram, photos of women without mandatory hijab have been published along with their phone numbers and account IDs, and members have been asked to attack these women. On the other hand, women targeted have been informed that if they want their photos and information deleted, they must contact the administrators and transfer a sum to the account of a "charity" and provide a picture of the transfer receipt to have their information erased. These Telegram channels and bots operate in a networked manner, collaborating with each other and inviting their members to join other channels in this network. The dissemination of misleading and false information is one of the strategies of these channels. Such channels do not introduce themselves as news channels, but at critical times, especially during periods when the Islamic Republic faces regional problems due to its forces' presence outside Iran or conflicts with Israel and the U.S., they begin to disseminate coordinated misleading and false information. This type of post is usually about the deaths of these individuals accompanied by laudatory content. For example, during the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, a leader of the extremist group Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the EU, these channels began to publish content in support of the Islamic Republic's policies towards Israel. Additionally, the managers of these channels have repeatedly mocked imprisoned protesters and welcomed the inhumane punishment of "execution" against them. One of these channels, named "Goddoost's Stable," wrote in August 2023, coinciding with the announcement of the execution of Shervin Hajipour, a protesting artist: "Shervin also went to Tomaj. Hopefully, next year at this time, we will celebrate their execution." These Telegram channels publish files of speeches from some religious figures close to the Islamic Republic among sexual or violent content. The Telegram channel "Stable" published a speech file from Alireza Panahian titled "What should we do for Imam Zaman to come?" on September 5 of this year. Despite multiple documents of these channels' roles in disseminating sexual, violent, and misleading content, the judicial and security authorities of the Islamic Republic have not only refrained from pursuing these channels but have also prevented journalists and civil activists from exposing these networks through threats and pressure. In this context, the role of Telegram's managers in addressing such content and monitoring the performance of channels promoting violence, sexual content, and misleading information remains unclear, and despite criminal complaints against Durov for violating multiple red lines on the platform, we continue to witness the activities of these channels.