Iran16 September, 20263 min read
Iran Launches “Treatment” System To Monitor And Report Regime Critics Abroad
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Iran launched an electronic platform named "Treatment" to monitor and report regime critics abroad. Authorities claim the system identifies opponents abroad; access via website and messaging channels, anonymity promised.
6 outlets told this the same way.
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Treatment platform launched
Iran launched an electronic system named "Treatment" aimed at gathering information on Iranian regime critics abroad, identifying their identities, and reporting them under what it calls "continuous and smart monitoring." The system is described as being accessible via a website and communication channels, and as guaranteeing the reporter’s anonymity under the banner of "Protecting National Security." Iran’s official television participated in promoting the system, while the identity of the entity managing the project remains unknown, according to اندبندنت عربية.
اندبندنت عربية also said the "Treatment" site created files for Iranians residing overseas that in some cases included names, photos, national ID numbers, dates of birth, and father’s name. The same article reported that the organizers claim they have thus far "identified and monitored" 1,600 people, noting that 600 of them—more than one third—were identified through "popular reports."
Spyware warning and tactics
Alongside the launch of "Treatment," Western authorities issued a joint warning about spyware that they said infiltrates oppositionists’ and activists’ and journalists’ phones. خبرآنلاین quoted Ahmad Bakhshesh Ardestani, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Parliament, saying, "We had a law, though I don’t currently recall its exact name, and espionage was mentioned in it." خبرآنلاین also said Ardestani argued that there must be a distinction between "interviewing, speaking against the country" and actions that have more impact, adding that those who engage in such activities from abroad are dealt with or punished by the judiciary in some way.
In the cyber warning described by العربية, security and cyber authorities in Britain, the United States, and the Netherlands said campaigns use spyware named "CHOSEN BRICK" and rely on phishing via apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram. العربية further stated that the attackers impersonate trusted entities and send forged documents—including forged medical results—to lure victims into downloading the app, and that once installed the software can steal messages, capture device surroundings, and access contacts lists and the microphone.
Debate over citizen reporting
خبرآنلاین framed a debate over systems titled “Elāgh” (remedy), describing how individuals can provide details and information about opponents of the Islamic Republic abroad so their information can be referred to relevant authorities for review and follow-up. In that discussion, Ahmad Bakhshesh Ardestani argued, "We should not pit people against one another or invite spying against each other," and said that to confront these issues there is no need to pit people against one another and invite them to spy on each other. He added that perhaps in early years of the Revolution such actions were justifiable, but today the conditions are different because responsibilities in this area have been defined for the Ministry of Intelligence, the IRGC Intelligence Unit, the Police Information, and the Prosecutor’s Office Protection.
“We should not pit people against one another or invite spying against each other.”
اندبندنت عربية reported that the project raised questions because it was not clear how it managed to access individuals’ personal data, while Iran’s official television participated in promoting the system. It also said that while Iranian officials describe "Treatment" as a tool to "protect national security," critics see it as part of a broader effort to expand surveillance of dissidents and critics living abroad and to pressure them.