Operation Spider (Iran)
Operation Spider or Project Spider is a surveillance programme by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to monitor Iranian internet users on social media such as Facebook. The operation was publicized in January 2015 with a statement by IRGC's "The Center for Investigation of Organized Crime". The program is said to be expanding to Instagram, Viber, and WhatsApp.[2]
2015 Arrests
[edit]Since September 2014, the IRGC intensified its review of Facebook pages, and that 350 Facebook pages managed by 36 individuals had been identified and 130 of them deleted from Facebook.[3]
In January 2015, 12 Iranian Facebook users were arrested and 24 other citizens were summoned to answer questions about their Facebook activities.[4]
On January 31, a statement by the Center for Investigation of Organized Cyber Crimes was published that stated several Facebook users had been arrested in a surveillance project by the IRGC named “Operation Spider” that is aimed at identifying and rooting out Facebook pages and activities that spread “corruption” and western-inspired lifestyles. The statement also says they "received indirect and covert support from the Western governments and had targeted a remarkable number of Facebook users in the guise of cultural and social pages over a span of two years".[5]
2016 arrests
[edit]In 2016, Operation Spider II was used to detect Iranian models posting images of themselves online not wearing a headscarf. The models were subsequently charged with “promoting western promiscuity”.[6] The Iranian models were arrested and forced to give public self-criticism for posting the pictures.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Rafati, Mohammad (January 31, 2015). "Iran Cyber Spider Project Against Facebook Users". cyberwarzone.com. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
- ^ Wilkin, Sam; Balali, Mehrdad (March 2, 2015). "Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards are ramping up domestic surveillance". Business Insider. Reuters. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
- ^ "Facebook Users Arrested, Others Will Be Arrested Soon, IRGC Warns". International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. March 13, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
- ^ "Iran's IRGC Intensifies Crackdown on Facebook Users with 12 Arrests and 24 Summonses". International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. February 5, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
- ^ "Iran Busts Facebook Band Involved in Criminal Acts". Tasnim News Agency. January 31, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
- ^ Spencer, Richard (16 May 2016). "Iranian models arrested and forced to give public self-criticism for posting pictures without headscarves". The Telegraph. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
- ^ Sonawane, Vishakha (16 May 2016). "Iran Arrests 8 People In Spider II Operation Targeting Models Posing Online Without Headscarves". IB Times. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
