DUBAI: Guns drawn, Iranian intelligence agents rushed into the apartment of a Washington Post reporter and his journalist wife in Tehran.
Threatening to kill Jason Rezaian in front of his wife, Yeganeh, the 20 agents in the July 2014 raid tore through their belongings and rifled through drawers, clothes and valuables for an hour.
But perhaps their most eagerly sought target was not exactly inside the house: They forced the couple to hand over the passwords to their email and social media profiles.
That raid demonstrated how much of a threat Iran’s theocratic government sees in the Internet. It has long sought to strictly control cyberspace and social media — and, thereby, the flow of information to the public.
But the country’s relationship with the world wide web is far more complicated than simple repression. Over the past four years, authorities have encouraged wider use of the Internet among Iranians, hoping to generate the benefits of a more modern economy. As a result, nearly half the population have in their pockets a tool that the state is struggling to constrain: smartphones, with cameras and Internet links that let anyone broadcast to the world.
Those smartphones helped spread the startling burst of protests across Iran that opened 2018. The government succeeded in suffocating the flare-up in part by shutting off key social media and messaging apps, but the lesson was clear: The same oxygen that can resuscitate commerce can also give breath to potential revolt.
Authorities’ solution has been to create a so-called “halal net,” Iran’s own locally controlled version of the Internet aimed at restricting what the public can see.
As Iran approaches the 40th anniversary of the revolution that brought its cleric-led rule to power, how it handles the power of cyberspace will be crucial to its future, determining whether it moves to greater openness or seals itself off from the world.
“The Islamic Republic is not black and white. It shows a myriad of contradictions and its Internet policy I think is one of the great examples of those contradictions,” said Sanam Vakil, an associate fellow at Chatham House who studies Iran. “The government has taken the Internet and effectively used it for its own purposes and also has realized the dangers of it as well.”
Since the 1979 Revolution, how information spreads across mass media has been tightly controlled.
All television and radio broadcasts within Iran are from state-run stations. Satellite dishes remain ostensibly illegal, though they are plentiful, drawing occasional attacks from bat-wielding government enforcers. Journalists face restrictions in what they can cover and where they can travel across a country of 80 million people that is nearly two-and-a-half times the size of Texas.
The Internet helped collapse that distance. During Iran’s 2009 protests surrounding the disputed re-election of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, still nascent social media spread word of the events among Iranians and brought videos of the shooting death of 26-year-old Neda Agha Soltan to the world.
Iran’s government, overseen by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, violently suppressed the demonstrations. The crackdown killed dozens and saw thousands imprisoned, with some tortured by their jailers.
Even before the 2009 protests, Iran blocked access to YouTube. Twitter and Facebook followed amid the unrest, as did many other sites later. Some in Iran began using virtual private networks, or VPNs, which allow users to bypass government censorship.
The chief difference between then and the protests that rocked the country coming into 2018 was the massive proliferation of smartphones. As recently as 2014, only an estimated 2 million Iranians possessed one. Today, estimates suggest Iranians own 48 million.
That explosive growth was spurred by the administration of President Hasan Rouhani. His officials allowed more mobile phone service providers to offer 3G and 4G Internet, suddenly making sharing photos and images possible. Home Internet connections became faster. The encrypted messaging platform Telegram spread like wildfire. Over 40 million Iranians are estimated to use it, for everything from benign conversations to commerce and political campaigning.
In the recent unrest, protesters used Telegram’s mass-messaging channels to share information and videos across 75 cities and towns where demonstrations erupted. Some showed people openly in the streets shouting, “Death to Khamenei!” It shocked many, especially as such cries could bring a death sentence.
In Iran, a ‘halal’ Internet means more control after unrest
In Iran, a ‘halal’ Internet means more control after unrest
Sky News Arabia opens new headquarters, announces fresh programming
DUBAI: Sky News Arabia, part of media group IMI, has opened its new headquarters in the same building as the IMI HQ on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
The new HQ features advanced broadcasting studios fitted with the latest AI technologies, the company said.
Sky News Arabia has also launched a new programming grid covering politics, lifestyle, sports, business and entertainment.
The announcements come 12 years after the channel’s launch.
They mark a new chapter that “embodies our forward-thinking strategy to anticipate and exceed audience expectations by embracing cutting-edge technologies and delivering diverse, engaging programming that transcends borders, setting new benchmarks for excellence,” said Rani Raad, CEO of IMI and president and operating partner of Redbird IMI.
The company has been working over the past year to elevate “the way each of the media companies within our network engage with audiences, to ensure we continue to deliver content that truly resonates,” he added.
The new programming will include shows such as “Studio One” hosted by Fadila Souissi, which will highlight political and societal issues, and the “Emad Eldin Adib” show, which will focus on politics in the Arab world.
Sky News Arabia is also expanding its lineup of non-political shows. The “Al Sabah Show” will return, featuring segments on health, fashion, law, and celebrities. It will be hosted by Maha Abdullah, Ahmed Qassem, Hani Ziadeh, Christine Dagher and Lubna Mansour.
The show will extend to digital channels and social media platforms through 12 specifically tailored mini-segments.
“In an era of rapid change and information overload, we are committed to empowering our audience with the tools to navigate and discern credible news,” said Nadim Koteich, general manager of Sky News Arabia.
He added: “By providing transparent, engaging and diverse content across politics, economics, lifestyle and technology, we ensure that Sky News Arabia remains a credible source of information that meets the dynamic needs of our viewers.”
Benefits of AI economy must be equitably distributed, says UN tech envoy in Davos
- Amandeep Singh Gill seeks ‘global’ efforts to tackle digital divide
- ‘We need to have a more collaborative and respectful approach’
DAVOS:The power of artificial intelligence and quantum computing must be harnessed to benefit nations across the world, not only developed economies, said Amandeep Singh Gill, the UN’s envoy on technology, on Thursday.
Speaking during a panel titled “From High-Performance Computing to High- Performance Problem Solving,” Gill said that countries in Africa, for example, hold less than 0.5 percent of graphic processing units worldwide.
Also participating in the discussion were Georges-Olivier Reymond, co-founder and CEO of PASQAL; Ana Paula Assis, senior vice president and chair IBM EMEA and Growth Markets; and Paul Alivisatos, president of the University of Chicago.
“My challenge is to convince policymakers who have limited resources to invest in the digital divide, data and AI and quantum development as well,” explained the envoy.
“There is a backlash against the neo-colonial situation, where the tech is developed in just a few geographies, and the rest of the world is takers of this tech. You can call it the sovereignty backlash … we need to have a more collaborative and respectful approach,” he added.
When asked by panel moderator Azeem Azhar, CEO of Exponential View, about the risk of uncertainty in the field of quantum computing, Gill said he sees an opportunity more than a risk.
“We are at an early stage in terms of the science and technology of developing things so different technologies might be used. A degree of uncertainty and diversity is important,” he added.
But the envoy emphasized the need to have a unified global force that would ensure everyone can participate in this area of technology.
“When we look at the global majority, not everyone will be able to use quantum computing, the cryptographic effort has to be global, it can’t be isolated,” he said.
Gill said the world is shifting toward quantum infrastructure in order to reduce energy consumption. According to the envoy, today’s AI systems consume a great deal of energy.
The UN deemed 2025 as the “International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.” This initiative aims to celebrate quantum mechanics and educate people on its impacts on technology, culture, and understanding of the world.
Al Jazeera says the Palestinian Authority arrested one of its reporters
- The Qatar-based news network reported that its reporter Mohammed Al-Atrash was arrested from his home
The Al Jazeera news network says the Palestinian Authority arrested one of its reporters after preventing him from covering an Israeli operation in the occupied West Bank.
The Qatar-based news network reported Thursday that its reporter, Mohammed Al-Atrash, was arrested from his home.
It said Palestinian security forces had earlier prevented him from reporting on a large Israeli military operation in Jenin, an epicenter of Israeli-Palestinian violence in recent years. The Palestinian Authority launched its own crackdown on militants in the city late last year.
There was no immediate comment from the Palestinian Authority.
Both Israel and the Western-backed Palestinian Authority banned Al Jazeera last year. Israel accuses it of being a mouthpiece of Hamas over its coverage of the war in the Gaza Strip and says some of its reporters are also militants.
The pan-Arab broadcaster has rejected the allegations and accused both Israel and the Palestinian Authority of trying to silence critical coverage.
The internationally recognized Palestinian Authority administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and cooperates with Israel on security matters. It is unpopular among Palestinians, with critics portraying it as a corrupt and authoritarian ally of Israel.
South Sudan orders temporary ban on social media over violence in neighboring Sudan
- Many South Sudanese have been angered by footage from Sudan that purports to show killings by militia groups of South Sudanese in Gezira state
JUBA, South Sudan: South Sudanese authorities on Wednesday ordered telecoms to block access to social media for at least 30 days, citing concerns over the dissemination of graphic content relating to the ongoing violence against South Sudanese in neighboring Sudan.
The temporary ban, which could be extended to up to 90 days, will come into force at midnight Thursday, according to a directive from the National Communication Authority, NCA, to telecom companies stressing that the measure was necessary to protect the public.
“This directive may be lifted as soon as the situation is contained,” the NCA said. “The contents depicted violate our local laws and pose a significant threat to public safety and mental health.”
Many South Sudanese have been angered by footage from Sudan that purports to show killings by militia groups of South Sudanese in Gezira state. South Sudanese authorities imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Jan. 17 after a night of retaliatory violence during which shops owned by Sudanese traders were looted.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the African Union Commission, condemned “the brutal killings of South Sudanese nationals” in Sudan and urged restraint.
Civil war in Sudan has created a widening famine and the world’s largest displacement crisis. Fighting between forces loyal to rival military leaders exploded in the capital, Khartoum, in April 2023 and has since spread to other areas.
The conflict has been marked by atrocities, including ethnically motivated killing and rape, according to the UN and rights groups.
‘Controlling technology does not bridge the divide,’ says e& chief at WEF
- Hatem Dowidar said that while poorer nations may lack the expertise and resources to build AI infrastructure, governance and data sovereignty could unlock opportunities for decentralizing such technologies
- Brad Smith pointed to Microsoft’s $1 billion investment, in partnership with Abu Dhabi-based AI firm G42, in establishing a data center in Kenya as an indication of decentralization efforts
LONDON: Controlling key technologies such as artificial intelligence does little to bridge the divide between richer and poorer nations, hindering the potential to benefit all, according to Hatem Dowidar, group chief executive officer of e&.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Dowidar highlighted the need for a shift in mindset among regulators to “close the divide rather than widen it.”
He said that the challenge lay less in countries lacking the expertise or resources to build AI infrastructure and more in governance and data sovereignty issues, which often required external handling.
“We do have a couple of cases now where agreements have been done that allow for data to be handled securely,” he said. “In other markets, there are a few lighthouse cases that allows this to happen, and actually some of the hyperscalers — Microsoft and AWS — are working on creating these ring-fenced sovereign clouds that can serve countries from another country while really preserving that integrity and sovereignty.”
Dowidar explained that while many countries lacked access to AI know-how and connectivity, the energy-intensive process of training AI models presented perhaps a more significant barrier.
“So there is a possibility where you can have these central areas, where we can serve the countries that don’t have the massive energy needed to teach the models, but then we need to relax the AI data sovereignty issues,” he said.
Participating in the panel, “AI: Lifting All Boats,” Brad Smith, vice-chair and president of Microsoft, discussed his company’s push toward a decentralized approach to AI development. He pointed to Microsoft’s $1 billion investment, in partnership with Abu Dhabi-based AI firm G42, to establish a data center in Kenya as an example of such efforts.
“It is hard to spend a billion dollars to support 50 million people in Kenya alone, but we’re doing it,” he said. “But the real question is, can we grow that and can we reach Rwanda? We can, but only under one circumstance that you get Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda and Kenya and Ethiopia, that you get the East African Community to decide together that they will all use that data center.”
He called this type of development “a data zone, just like we have free trade zones that will get us halfway there.”
However, Smith emphasized that the private sector alone could not shoulder the burden of such investments. Local governments and international institutions were essential to “kickstart the demand” if regions such as East Africa were to bridge the divide and compete on the global stage.
The panelists also criticized the US for its protectionist approach, particularly the imposition of export controls on competitive nations such as China.
While acknowledging that American technology currently held a significant edge, they argued that these restrictive policies were fueling rival nations to “catch up in various ways, partly by driving them to develop more frugal and innovative models.”
