The document “Facilitating access to foreign platforms and enhancing law-based governance” was approved in the 104th session dated 1403/10/04 to complete the document “Policies and measures for regulating social messengers” (approved in sessions No. 36 to 40) and the document “Review of measures to increase the share of domestic traffic and counter bypassing tools” (approved in session No. 96 of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace), with the aim of providing the legitimate and legal needs of the people to access content and services while enhancing law-based governance, and its amendment was approved in the 105th session dated 1403/11/23.
At present, this document has been declassified by order of Seyed Mohammadamin Aghamiri, Secretary of the Supreme Council and Head of the National Center for Cyberspace, and made available to journalists. To view and download the full text of the 32-article cyberspace document, you can do so from here.
Part of the text of this document is as follows:
1. Four-stage process for reopening foreign platforms
This resolution makes lifting filters conditional on step-by-step implementation and approval by the steering working group:
First stage (Google Play and WhatsApp):
Reopening and facilitating access to Google Play and WhatsApp.
Simultaneously providing the necessary technical infrastructure for selected domestic platforms by the Ministry of Communications.
Allocation of a 500 billion toman support package for advertising on radio and television for domestic platforms.
Issuance of a new traffic tariffing and content revenue-sharing model in favor of domestic producers and platforms.
Second stage (YouTube):
Access to YouTube based on “law-based governance” mechanisms (content segregation and filtering or use of shells/intermediary tools that are filterable).
Initiating negotiations and attracting participation of new foreign platforms.
Third stage (Telegram):
The Ministry of Communications is tasked with official negotiations with the Telegram platform to accept the country’s conditions and laws.
Alternative path if not accepted: providing users access to Telegram only through domestic governance-compliant mechanisms (such as providers of shell or intermediary services).
Fourth stage (other platforms and combating circumvention tools):
Determining the status of other widely used platforms after evaluating the results of previous stages.
Strict criminalization of the production, distribution, and commercialization of VPNs and tools for bypassing filtering.
Monitoring advertising revenues and preventing tax evasion on foreign platforms./ Mehr