Pezeshkian Calls for Action Against VPN Sellers

Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, who had previously stated that "given the current circumstances" it is not possible to announce a specific time for lifting the filtering, has called for action against VPN sellers. On Tuesday, October 2, during a meeting of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, Pezeshkian described VPN sellers as "exploitative" and characterized their earnings as billions, stating that this issue is not good for our country. The President of Iran had earlier mentioned: "We are working to lift the filtering of cyberspace, but it is not possible to announce a specific time given the current conditions." Meanwhile, the President emphasized the necessity of implementing the policies issued by Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic. Khamenei had previously stressed the need for "supervision" over cyberspace during a meeting with Pezeshkian and his government delegation. He had also complained about the "lack of control" in cyberspace despite heavy filtering imposed on the internet in Iran. It is noteworthy that Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed his opposition to the filtering of cyberspace since the early days of his candidacy for the presidential elections. In a debate with Saeed Jalili, another presidential candidate, he criticized the policies implemented regarding the internet in Iran, saying: "We must ensure that people can work comfortably in cyberspace, and you cannot say we want to live in a cage and have no connection with the world."