US sanctions Iranian company aiding government’s internet censorship.

The Iranian government’s attempts to control and censor internet traffic have been met with sanctions from the US. Arvan Cloud, a technology firm based in Iran, along with its co-founders Pouya Pirhosseinloo and Farhad Fatemi, and a UAE-based firm, have all been sanctioned for their role in facilitating the government’s censorship of the internet. The move comes as anti-government protests have swept the country since September.

“Free and unrestricted access to information is a fundamental right of all peoples, including in Iran.”

How Arvan Cloud Facilitated Censorship

• Provided interception services for the government
• Allowed Iranian authorities to control and censor incoming and outgoing traffic
• Surveilled data on the servers
• Blocked websites at the request of Iran’s Committee to Determine Instances of Criminal Content

The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has taken action against Arvan Cloud for its role in facilitating the Iranian government’s attempts to control and censor internet traffic. The firm’s interception services allowed Iranian authorities to control and censor incoming and outgoing traffic, as well as surveil data on the servers. Additionally, the firm blocked websites at the request of Iran’s Committee to Determine Instances of Criminal Content.