[governance] FW: [liberationtech] Telecommunications minister has ordered the use of domain names ending with .ir" belonging to Iran

[Jac sm Kee]

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just to add to this. this is how it is affecting on-the-ground work on
sexual rights in the country:
http://www.apc.org/en/news/iran039s-new-quotcleanquot-national-internet-will

j

On 13/05/2012 06:25, michael gurstein wrote:
> 
> -----Original Message----- From:
> liberationtech-bounces at lists.stanford.edu 
> [mailto:liberationtech-bounces at lists.stanford.edu] On Behalf Of
> SiNA Rabbani Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2012 3:05 PM To:
> liberationtech at mailman.stanford.edu Subject: [liberationtech]
> Telecommunications minister has ordered the use of domain names
> ending with .ir" belonging to Iran ...
> 
> http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jzh5OHjE_YOFj7PeAz8thcxLD
>
> 
XHg
> 
>> TEHRAN - Iran's telecommunications ministry has barred local
>> banks, insurance firms and telephone operators from using
>> foreign-sourced emails to communicate with clients, a specialist
>> weekly said on Saturday.
>> 
>> "The telecommunications minister has ordered the use of domain
>> names ending with .ir" belonging to Iran, Asr Ertebatat
>> reported.
>> 
>> The order prohibits banks, insurance firms and telephone firms
>> using foreign hosts for their sites or to inform their clients
>> using foreign providers such as Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail or MSN, it
>> said.
>> 
>> The weekly said that individuals seeking to communicate with such
>>  firms must now use email addresses ending with iran.ir, post.ir
>> or chmail.ir.
>> 
>> Entities linked to the Iranian government must use addresses
>> ending in gov.ir or .ir, while universities should use emails
>> ending in ac.ir or .ir, the report added.
>> 
>> Iran has announced that as of May a national information network
>> will be used to replace the Internet in the daily management of
>> the administration of state entities, the banking system and
>> public enterprises.
>> 
>> Officially, the launch of the "Iranian Internet" aims to secure 
>> communications by making them independent from foreign Internet 
>> operators.
>> 
>> Iranian authorities announced in December having repatriated 90%
>> of official websites and encouraged Iranian companies to do the
>> same.
>> 
>> For the past two years, Tehran has been slapped with Western
>> economic and financial sanctions due to its controversial nuclear
>> programme.
>> 
>> The regime also regularly accuses the West of using the web for
>> an "undeclared war" to destabilise it, and Telecommunications
>> Minister Reza Taghipour has argued that Google and Yahoo posed a
>> "threat to national security."
>> 
>> With over 36 million Internet users out of the population of 75 
>> million, electronic media played a major role in the popular
>> protests which rocked the country after the disputed re-election
>> of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009.
>> 
>> The authorities have since cut off or reduced Internet
>> connections and speed.
>> 
>> The telecommunications ministry in April, however, denied that
>> the authority has decided to cut outside Internet connections to
>> support the development of Iran's own intranet.
>> 
>> Earlier this year, access to foreign-sourced emails was cut
>> without explanation, disrupting the operations of many companies
>> and millions of Iranians while prompting sharp criticism within
>> the regime.
>> 
>> Since the unrest of 2009, authorities have sharply reduced the 
>> available bandwidth of the Internet and blocked access to tens of
>>  thousands of foreign websites, including opposition sites.
>> 
>> US President Barack Obama on March accused Iran of imposing an 
>> "electronic curtain" of censorship, announcing steps to use
>> software and social media to help Iranians communicate online.
> 
> 
> 

- -- 
Jac sm Kee
Women's Rights Policy Coordinator
Association for Progressive Communications
www.apc.org | erotics.apc.org | www.takebackthetech.net
Skype: jhybeturle | Twitter: jhybe
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