Chinese Technology Underpins Iran's Internet Control, Report Finds
A new analysis published by the British human rights organisation Article 19 reveals that Iran's architecture of internet control is heavily reliant on technologies imported from China. The report details how these tools, including facial recognition systems and deep packet inspection equipment, have been weaponised to enforce a fine-tuned censorship regime.
Surveillance Technologies and Their Origins
The technologies identified in the report encompass facial recognition tools previously used on Uyghurs in western China, as well as the Chinese alternative to GPS, known as BeiDou. Chinese companies such as Huawei, ZTE, Hikvision, and Tiandy have supplied key surveillance and filtering equipment to Iranian authorities. This collaboration has been guided by a shared vision of cyber sovereignty, where states assert absolute control over internet access within their borders.
Michael Caster, the author of the report, highlighted that 2010 marked a significant turning point in the evolution of digital authoritarianism for both nations. Since then, Iran and China have made substantial strides towards developing national internets, enhancing their capabilities for censorship and surveillance.
Impact on Protests and Human Rights
During the peak of anti-government protests in January, Iranian authorities leveraged these technologies to almost completely sever the country's 93 million citizens from the global internet. This blackout has obscured grave human rights violations, including mass killings, with the death toll from the protests still being calculated. Internet access remains patchy and sporadic, controlled by a censorship regime built on decades of collaboration with Chinese authorities.
Researchers from the Outline Foundation and Project Ainita noted a third category of equipment from smaller Chinese providers, which possess alarming and largely unknown capabilities. This makes it difficult for experts to fully understand how Iranian authorities surveil users, adding a layer of opacity to the regime's operations.
Global Reach of Censorship Tools
Iran is not the sole customer for these sophisticated censorship systems. Reports from last year documented how Chinese companies have sold similar technologies to countries including Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Myanmar, and Ethiopia. For instance, Geedge Networks sells middleboxes that allow governments to sift through individual users' internet activity, though the exact functionalities remain unclear.
Jurre van Bergen, a researcher at Amnesty International, pointed out the challenges in assessing these tools: It's pretty hard to find out what these deep packet inspections actually do from these providers. While they could block apps or VPN protocols, simpler methods like domain blocking might be more cost-effective.
Company Responses and Market Exits
In response to the findings, a Hikvision spokesperson stated that the company exited the Iranian market eight years ago and no longer sells products there, emphasising compliance with global trade regulations. ZTE also confirmed it ceased operations in Iran in 2016. Other companies mentioned in the report have been approached for comment, highlighting ongoing scrutiny of their roles in facilitating digital authoritarianism.
