The Islamic Consultative Assembly opposes the cancellation of the confidential review of the “Protection Plan”
The Islamic Consultative Assembly opposed the removal of the bill called “Protection of Users’ Rights” from the framework of Article 85 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic. An hour earlier, it was announced that representatives had voted in a unanimous vote to cancel the confidential review of the bill.
130 out of 262 representatives present at the public session of the Islamic Consultative Assembly on Tuesday morning, August 10, voted to continue reviewing the bill “Protecting the Rights of Users in Cyberspace and Regulating Social Messaging” based on Article 85 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic. This bill will thus be reviewed in secret, despite 121 votes against and 7 abstentions.
An hour ago, the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reported that representatives had agreed in a unanimous vote to cancel the private review of the bill.
Two weeks ago, representatives agreed to review this controversial bill in the framework of Article 85 of the Constitution, according to which the bill will be reviewed in a joint commission.
As stated in Article 85 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic, the Islamic Consultative Assembly can "in urgent cases" delegate the authority to enact certain laws to its internal commissions, in which case these laws will be implemented on a trial basis for a period determined by the Assembly without the need for approval in public.
The bill to "Protect Users' Rights in Cyberspace and Regulate Social Media" has faced widespread protests, and a number of members of parliament have also criticized it.
Cybersecurity experts see the prospect of this plan as blocking and intensifying internet filtering.
The implementation of the plan in its current form could filter all internet services, including Google, Instagram, and WhatsApp. According to Note 2 of Article 28 of the plan, almost all well-known platforms must be blocked if they do not obtain a license and introduce a representative in Iran after four months of the plan’s implementation.
Source: DW
