Iran rolls out domestic internet
[quote]Iran has announced it has completed the first phase of its plan to operate a “national internet”.
An inauguration ceremony was held on Sunday by the country’s communications and information technology minister, Mahmoud Vaezi.
…
The government says the goal is to create an isolated domestic intranet that can be used to promote Islamic content and raise digital awareness among the public.It intends to replace the current
system, in which officials seek to limit which parts of the existing internet people have access to via filters - an effort Mr Vaezi described as being “inefficient”.
…
- the first phase of the rollout involves providing access to e-government services and domestic web pages
- a second phase, due in February 2017, will add domestic video content
- a third phase, due in March 2017, will introduce further services and provide support for companies involved in international trade
Local reports state that users’ privacy will be respected.
But the British human rights campaign group Article 19 has warned that this might not be the case.
[/quote]
Is it really so different from the Internet?
Presumably it won’t have porn, it will have certain kinds of speech proscribed, and the government will track you.
Other than the porn, not a huge departure.
At least the access to porn makes us free, right? Oh, wait… - YouTube
2 Likes
I am sure that will be great for their economy and their citizens will appreciate being pumped full of propaganda. Not.
1 Like
You’re talking about Iran? Not the USA, with its booming economy and lack of being pumped full of propaganda. Just want to clarify…
3 Likes
It is completely different from the Internet!
Their starting point is outright brain washing propaganda and surveillance.
On the “real” Internet mass surveillance/propaganda wasn’t the starting goal and crept into our lives slowly (sort of).
At least it is easy to find great information that help people to question authority and think for themselves, for example just look at science related channels on youtube that are very successful despite all the attention general silliness around the web get.
It’s always great to complain and criticise our governments, we have plenty of excellent reasons for that, but after centuries of bloody fights for individual rights, in the overall western governments are more capable of incompetence than pure evil, could anyone confidently say the same about iran and similar places?
In the words of one of the greatest orators of all time
The totalitarian, to me, is the enemy - the one that’s absolute, the one that wants control over the inside of your head, not just your actions and your taxes
Christopher Hitchens
1 Like
Yet, banal evil is the more common and the effect can be the same at scale. Given the level of interference in Iran, by the West over many decades, it’s a bit disingenuous to suggest simply that the West is better than those other evil doers… we have a hand in what drove them to where they are now.
The problem in the West is that Government’s do not acknowledge their errors. Good intentions do not prevent systemic errors. Being disingenuous and dismissive in the way the West so often is, only helps compound the reasons that states like Iran double down.
Until the West is honorable in its actions, we should be not so quick to criticize those others. That said, some errors are just tragic for the population that suffers all the consequences of those gods playing their silly games.
2 Likes