According to statements from a member of the supervisory board of the parliament’s committee on identifying computer-based criminal content, discussions regarding the removal of filters from certain websites have emerged. However, the question arises: Is this about unblocking or tiered internet access?
As reported by IDEA, a member of the parliament’s committee on identifying computer-based criminal content has announced that the committee is prepared to unblock certain platforms. He also stated that YouTube is accessible to students, professors, merchants, and all individuals in need of specialized content. The matter this committee member is referring to pertains to the concept of tiered internet or providing selective access levels to specific groups. As mentioned, access to YouTube for certain groups has been pursued by the Ministry of Science.
Mehdi Bagheri, a member of the supervisory board of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, commented on certain websites that were not unblocked at times due to requirements, saying: ‘For the unblocking of these websites, an entity needs to make a request for it to happen.’ During a session where the relevant report was presented in the parliamentary hall, the Minister of Communications stated that measures would be taken to unblock certain of these websites.
According to Mehdi Bagheri, when the needs of the people are not met, it’s natural that some will resort to using VPNs.
The member of the parliament’s supervisory board also elaborated on sanctions in relation to the committee: ‘Some restrictions on certain websites are due to sanctions, and we haven’t imposed those restrictions. Certainly, given the capabilities of the committee on identifying computer-based criminal content, there is a readiness to address all requirements that people have without any criminal concerns.’
Bagheri further discussed the proposal to unblock platforms such as YouTube and Twitter, stating: ‘YouTube and many of the websites that are filtered are accessible for groups like students, university professors, merchants, and anyone with specialized needs.’ According to him, the committee has allowed the Ministry of Science and all institutions with needs to have unlimited access to these platforms, assuming responsibility. Bagheri emphasized that today, you won’t find any merchant, economic actor, scholar, researcher, or university professor who needs access to these sites and faces difficulty in accessing them.
In this parliament member’s belief, YouTube serves as an educational platform, and legally, there is a capacity for individuals who need it for specialized purposes to have access.
However, according to Bagheri, the necessity that led to certain sites being filtered still remains, unless experts confirm that the issue has been resolved.
Regarding the economic issues caused by cutting off access to these sites, the parliament representative also stated: ‘When we see that some sites promote gambling and provide a platform for these issues, non-experts enter them, unintentionally fall into traps, and numerous legal cases emerge, what sense does it make for us to unblock them?’
He mentioned that if a valid argument for unblocking a site is presented in the committee, the access restrictions to that site will certainly be lifted.
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