The draft cooperation agreement between the Iranian regime and the Russian government in the field of information security has raised concerns after being submitted to the Majlis (parliament).
It is feared that this draft, which was approved by the Iranian regime’s parliamentary security commission in mid-November and is now waiting to be discussed in an open session, could strengthen the infrastructure for internet censorship in the country or jeopardize the security of individuals’ information on the internet.
It is expected that, considering the trend of approving similar bills such as the “internet Protection bill” and the violation of users’ privacy, this draft will also be approved without significant changes. According to analysts, this has increased concerns regarding the content of the draft and the effects of the cooperation between the two countries in the field of information security.
The technology platform “Zoomit” has revealed that despite not yet being approved by the Majlis, the Iran-Russia agreement on information security is already being implemented. It has also stated that cooperation documents between the two countries have been signed, and both sides have been progressing their collaborations by visiting each other’s countries.
The Iran-Russia agreement on information security, signed in Moscow in 2020 by former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the Russian government of the time, was sent to the parliament as a cooperation draft between the two governments in the field of information security for approval by the government of Ebrahim Raisi in July 2023.
This draft contains interpretable and multifaceted articles such as “major threats in the field of information security,” “information protection,” and “major areas of bilateral cooperation.” The inclusion of Russian technology in digital access control has angered users.
The protocols of this agreement are widely interpretable and can potentially lead to the transfer of data from Iran to Russia in the future.
The free structure of the internet is not preserved in Russia, and there is concern that, in addition to the Iranian regime controlling people through this means, the Russian government may also have the same control over the Iranian people. The Iranian regime has a long history of censoring and disrupting the internet to prevent nationwide protests.
Experts warn that the information security mentioned in this draft is actually aimed at further controlling the people, and under the pretext of preventing information from falling into the hands of the West, there is an attempt to seek more control over the people through cooperation with Russia.
This draft consists of nine articles and an appendix, and some of its main titles include “major threats in the field of information security,” “major areas of bilateral cooperation,” “general principles of cooperation,” “forms and mechanisms of cooperation,” “information protection,” and “financial support.”
Some of the areas of cooperation between the two countries listed in this draft, which have sparked reactions, include “information exchange and cooperation in the field of law enforcement for the prevention, detection, investigation, and prosecution of crimes related to the use of information and communication technologies for terrorist and criminal purposes.”
It is expected that criticisms of this draft will increase simultaneously with the discussion of the cooperation agreement between the Iranian regime and the Russian government in the field of information security in the parliament.
