Contradictions Within Internet Filtering Lie at the Heart of the Crisis; High-Quality Internet Is a Right for All

The head of the Tehran E-Commerce Association believes that access to high-quality internet is a fundamental right for all citizens and that any form of discrimination in access is unacceptable. He argues that so-called “white lists” are a marginal issue, while the real crisis stems from filtering policies that restrict public access and, at the same time, normalize the widespread use of circumvention tools.

In an interview with Citna, Nima Ghazi, President of the Tehran E-Commerce Association, reiterated the association’s long-standing opposition to tiered or discriminatory internet access, stating:
“High-quality internet is a right for everyone, and we have repeatedly emphasized that any discrimination in access is unacceptable.”

He described the contradictory behavior of some officials as one of the signs of the current crisis, but stressed that this is not a new issue. “The core problem lies elsewhere. Internet filtering itself contains a fundamental contradiction,” he said.

Ghazi explained that while the goal of filtering was to limit access to certain platforms, the actual outcome has been the widespread use of VPNs, making the situation effectively unmanageable. “As a result, Iran’s internet infrastructure has become fundamentally insecure and polluted, creating an environment where extensive misuse takes place,” he added.

He continued by emphasizing that the real issue is the restriction of public access to essential digital platforms. “The debate over white lists is a side issue. The main crisis is the filtering policy itself, which limits access while simultaneously encouraging the mass use of circumvention tools.”

Ghazi concluded by reaffirming that high-quality internet should be viewed as a public demand and a basic right, not a privilege. “This is why we have consistently opposed all initiatives related to tiered or class-based internet access,” he said.