By Maryam Manzoori | 2024-12-18

Iranian authorities are intensifying efforts to shape public opinion and suppress dissent through coordinated social media campaigns involving state-controlled outlets, bots and cyber operatives, according to a December cybersecurity report.

In a country with heavily restricted internet access, citizens increasingly rely on virtual private networks to access platforms like YouTube and Netflix.

Dissidents and state-backed actors battle to control the narrative on those sites.

The Iranian government's primary tactic involves overwhelming genuine voices with waves of coordinated messaging.

This strategy first gained prominence during the 2019-2020 fuel price protests, when automated accounts inundated social platforms with pro-government content to drown out calls for reform.

Disinformation escalated after Mahsa Amini's death in police custody in September 2022, as state-linked accounts depicted resulting nationwide unrest as a foreign conspiracy.

The regime's censorship tactics have become complex digital operations, with a network of more than 7,000 accounts circulating over 45,000 pro-government messages in 2022, researchers found.

The regime has weaponized hashtags such as "Strong Iran," generating some 80,000 posts in 2024 alone.

About 25% of these posts came from accounts in Iran praising regime leader Ali Khamenei and denouncing the West.

Suppression beyond borders

The campaign's reach extends beyond Iran's borders, targeting expatriates.

Iranian-American YouTuber Afshin Nariman, known for interviewing regime critics, says his online presence is being systematically suppressed.

"I have about 18,000 followers on my X account, and it doesn't make sense that my posts get as little as 90 views," Nariman told Pishtaz.

His YouTube channel shows a similar pattern: "My videos usually receive 2,000 views within the first hour or two, but the view count suddenly stops growing."

Restrictions tightened following the protests of Amini's death, he said.

After those demonstrations, "it was as if nobody could see [my X posts], not even my followers," he said.

Iranian state cyber units have been implicated in hacking opposition platforms and spreading doctored information to discredit regime foes.

An Iranian cybersecurity researcher at Georgetown University who requested anonymity detailed state-linked tactics.

"They usually gain many followers in a short time, often pretend to be female and write about ordinary topics like dating, relationships, lifestyle, fashion and cooking," the researcher said.

"They engage with users by asking questions ... Pretending to be anti-regime citizens is another way they gain credibility," she added of those oft-coordinated accounts.

The regime's grip on information took center stage at the recent 6th Digital Content Production event, where Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders gathered under banners declaring, "The virtual environment is no longer virtual; it is a reality in people's lives."

Advocates for free speech remain resolute.

"We won't give up," Nariman said.