Iran Intensifies Cyber Crackdown Before Election

With Iran's presidential election slated for June 28, authorities are escalating efforts to crack down on online dissent and monitor internet activism, citing a need to prevent "criminal acts" on the internet.

The commander of the cyber police force, Vahid Majid, announced the implementation of a special operational plan involving 34 working groups across the country to monitor online activity related to the election.

"The FATA police will monitor all activities in line with their assigned duties, and if any criminal cases such as vandalism, insults, lies, rumor-spreading, or any actions related to specific election crimes are observed, they will deal with the violators and criminals according to the law," Majid said.

FATA, Iran's cyber police unit, operates under the national police command.

He added that in the run-up to the June 28 vote, FATA would work closely with the Interior Ministry, prosecutors, and other agencies to "improve security in cyberspace" and carry out their policing missions effectively.

The forces in charge of FATA have frequently been deployed to surveil, censor, and arrest Iranians for online expression, part of the Islamic Republic's broad crackdown on internet freedom.