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]

For Republika Srpska and the Republic of Serb Krajina military operation in 1994, see Operation Spider.
The logo published by IRGC's Gerdab.ir alongside the statement[1]


2015 Arrests

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

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
  1. Rafati, Mohammad (January 31, 2015). "Iran Cyber Spider Project Against Facebook Users". cyberwarzone.com. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  2. Wilkin, Sam; Balali, Mehrdad (March 2, 2015). "Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards are ramping up domestic surveillance". Business Insider. Reuters. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  3. "Facebook Users Arrested, Others Will Be Arrested Soon, IRGC Warns". International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. March 13, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  4. "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.
  5. "Iran Busts Facebook Band Involved in Criminal Acts". Tasnim News Agency. January 31, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
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