The emancipatory role of information and communication technology. A case study of internet content filtering within Iran
| Date | 02 March 2010 |
| Published date | 02 March 2010 |
| Pages | 57-84 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14779961011024819 |
| Author | Farid Shirazi |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
The emancipatory role of
information and communication
technology
A case study of internet content filtering
within Iran
Farid Shirazi
Ted Rogers School of Information Technology Management,
Institute for Innovation and Technology Management,
Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of internet filtering, and its impact on
marginalized groups including non-governmental organizations, female activists, ethnic, and religious
minorities, the younger generation and the increase of the digital divide in Iran.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper raises two main questions: to what extent do
information and communications technologies (ICTs) and in particular, the internet, promote freedom
of speech, and gender equality in Iran? What is the impact of state censorship and ICT filtering on
these activities? To answer these research questions, the author uses narratives of the internet’s usage
along with a comparison study with other Middle Eastern countries to analyze the impact of ICTs on
citizen’s freedom of expression.
Findings – The paper argues that restrictions imposed on ICT tools and services by the Government
of Iran which has been claimed to protect country’s national security against the corruption
and immorality imposed by Western countries not only affect the expansion of ICTs negatively
but also civil liberties – thus increasing the digital divide internally, regionally, as well as on
a global scale.
Research limitations/implications – Albeit this research is limited to the case study of Iran, the
author believes that lessens learned from the Iran’s case study can be applied to other Islamic countries
and in particular countries located in the Middle East region.
Practical implications – ICT tools and services such as the internet and short message service are
effective emancipatory media for citizens’ participation and mobilization in democratic processes.
Originality/value – This paper contributes to the existing knowledge and understanding of the
impact of ICTs on freedom and democracy.
Keywords Communicationtechnologies, Internet, Freedom,Censorship, Civil and politicalrights, Iran
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
In a report published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD) (2004), former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan observed:
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) have considerable potential to promote
development and economic growth. It can foster innovation and improve productivity. It can
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
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An earlier version of this paper was presented at the International Conference on Human Choice
and Computers (IFIP TC9), 25-27 September, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
The
emancipatory
role of ICT
57
Received 2 January 2009
Revised 24 June 2009
Accepted 13 November 2009
Journal of Information,
Communication & Ethics in Society
Vol. 8 No. 1, 2010
pp. 57-84
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
1477-996X
DOI 10.1108/14779961011024819
reduce transaction costs and make available, in mere seconds, the rich store of global
knowledge. In the hands of developing countries, and especially small and medium sized
enterprises, the use of ICTs can bring impressive gains in employment, gender equality, and
standards of living.
Kofi Annan’s articulation of the influence and impact of ICT on socio-economic
development is supported by many researchers in the field of ICT development. Some
researchers argue that ICT provides an environment for political freedom (Norris, 2006;
Nwagwu, 2006) freedom of information (Loader, 1998) social inclusion (Foley et al.,
2006), virtual rights (Fitzpartick, 2000), and digital rights (Jupp and Six, 2001). It
involves people in a new form of governance, that is, e-government (Lenihan, 2002;
Clift, 2004; Mercer, 2004), public participation in the form of e-democracy (Bru
¨cher and
Baumberger, 2003) and fosters engagement of associations an d communities
(Wellman, 1999; Burrows et al., 2000; Lin, 2001; Nwagwu, 2006) by utilizing civil
societies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), human rights activists’ groups and
marginalized groups (Castells, 1996; Escobar, 1999; Ferdinand, 2000; Meier, 2000;
Noveck, 2000; Ott and Rosser, 2000; Jones, 2001; Quan-Haase et al., 2002), providing
them with the opportunity to access information and knowledge and disseminate it
within the public sphere (Norris, 2006). Some scholars have argued that the deployment
of ICT can be viewed as a form of emancipation and empowerment of individuals with
the aim of improving society (Stahl, 2008). Hirschheim and Klein (1989) point out that
emancipation has two main dimensions: psychological and organizational. While the
former calls for the realization of the full creative and productive potential of
individuals, the latter refers to the establishment of social conditions, which encourage
effectiveness through organizational democracy, specifically overcoming existing
forms of authoritarianism and social control. Stahl (2007) points out tha t emancipation
is conceptually closely related to empowerment; however, emancipation is a slightly
broader concept as it incorporates the issue of how the individual’s abilities can be
developed and his or her potential achieved.
Scholarly research on ICT development in developing countries has identified that
ICT and the internet in particular, positively correlate with the proliferation of
democracy (Ott and Rosser, 2000; Baliamoune-Lutz, 2003). Other scholars consider ICT
and globalization as a means of imposing Western culture onto other cultures through
hegemonic power and dominance (Neyestani, 2006).
Some researchers believe the internet is undermining the foundation of
authoritarian regimes in the Middle East and Arab world (Kalathil and Boas, 2003;
Alterman, 2005). Wheeler (2006) emphasizes that the use of the internet to openly
oppose the states’ political agendas is often punished by imprisonment. Ghashghai and
Lewis (2002) state that many Middle Eastern governments fear the internet will
facilitate communication among “subversive” individuals and other organizations
such as special interest groups that have political agendas that challenge the
legitimacy of their governments. These governments justify internet content filtering
by appealing to a constructed Islamic “moral majority” and claiming to uphold the
moral values of their society (Wheeler, 2006). In particular, filtering is justified as
sustaining Islamic values by protecting citizens from sites that contain pornography
and other “depravities.”
This paper investigates the impact of ICTs on citizens participation in the process of
e-democracy as discussed in the next section by raising two questions:
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