Online safety & content laws in Iran (2026)

Iran's foundational cyber law (Law No. 71063, in force June 2009) criminalises unauthorised access, data offences, and publication of 'immoral' or politically sensitive content online. ISPs are legally obligated to filter content on lists provided by the National Filtering Committee; wilful non-compliance can result in ISP liquidation.

The Supreme Council of Cyberspace (established by Supreme Leader Khamenei in 2012) sets overarching internet policy. The National Filtering Committee, operating under the Judiciary, issues blocking orders enforced on all licensed ISPs. Virtually all major Western social media—Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube, TikTok—remain blocked.

A 32-article resolution decreed by the Supreme Council of Cyberspace on 25 December 2024 and expanded in July 2025 formalised a tiered system: government officials and security personnel receive unfiltered 'white SIM' access; universities and tech companies receive selective unblocking; ordinary citizens face continued heavy filtering. Foreign Policy and Filterwatch document the operational implementation as of late 2025.

Passed by Iran's parliament in July 2025 with double-urgency procedure bypassing normal debate, this law imposes fines and up to two years' imprisonment (five years for national-security cases) for publishing content deemed 'false'. Article 11 allows platforms to block content without a court order and requires a 12-hour response to complaints; critics including the Center for Human Rights in Iran characterise it as a censorship tool targeting dissent.

FATA (est. January 2011) monitors online political dissent, targets VPN sellers, polices Islamic dress-code violations on social media, and arrests bloggers and activists. The UK Home Office April 2025 country note confirms FATA actively surveils social media activity and cooperates with intelligence services in prosecutions.

Iran routinely imposes localised or national internet shutdowns during civil unrest. On 8 January 2026 authorities imposed a near-total internet blackout—described by Amnesty International as one of the most complete ever recorded—coinciding with a crackdown on protest activity; the Supreme National Security Council was reported to have actively opposed restoration of access.