In days where the main and vital artery of Iran’s digital economy—the internet—has been severed, the eyes of many activists in this sector are fixed on institutions claiming to represent and support this ecosystem. However, what stands out more than anything these days is the strange and meaningful silence of these organizations. With the exception of the “Tehran E-Commerce Association,” almost no official, decisive statement regarding the internet outage has been published by other major trade bodies.
A Historic Test for the Computer Trade Organization and Unions
Organizations such as the Computer Trade Organization (NSR), Chambers of Commerce, the National Union of Virtual Businesses, and the IT Union are now facing a historic and decisive test. The question occupying the minds of many guild members is this: Are these institutions truly defenders of the fundamental rights of their members, or have they limited their role solely to diplomatic consultations behind closed doors?
The bitter reality is that in the face of the catastrophe of a nationwide internet blackout, these bodies were expected to defend the right to free internet access by issuing transparent, official statements—a right that is a tool for living for millions of Iranians and a condition of survival for thousands of businesses. Yet, there is a lack of any loud outcry. The only voice heard belonged to the Tehran E-Commerce Association, which explicitly declared that discussing internet quality during a total digital blackout is meaningless.
Why Clandestine Lobbying Is Insufficient
Recent experience has shown that in crisis situations, decision-makers and security agencies usually choose the easiest path: creating more restrictions. In the meantime, groups favoring restriction and filtering utilize the existing atmosphere to push their policies through. This is precisely why the voice of those favoring a free internet must be loud and resonant.
Managers of trade associations might argue that they are sending confidential letters and holding private meetings to reconnect corporate internet. While these actions have certainly been taken, they are not enough. The current approach looks more like an attempt at “crisis management” and reducing collateral damage, while the root of the crisis continues to strangle businesses.
The Dangerous Signals of This Silence to the Ecosystem
The minimal reactions or absolute silence of trade associations transmit three concerning messages to the body of the tech community:
- Failure to Grasp the Depth of the Catastrophe: Do these institutions really not realize that the internet is like oxygen for their members? Their silence creates the suspicion that perhaps they have not yet understood the depth of the danger of the gradual death of businesses.
- Politics Prioritized Over the Profession: This passivity can be interpreted as guild managers valuing the maintenance of good relations with power structures more than the public defense of their members’ and the people’s rights. An independent trade body should not fear expressing its legal stance.
- A Crisis of Legitimacy and Representation: When an institution fails to be the voice of its members in the most vital moments, its very philosophy of existence comes into question. Activists have the right to ask: “If you don’t defend us today, when will you ever be of use?”
The expectation is not for trade associations to enter into political conflicts; rather, the logical demand of the ecosystem is for them to be the resonant voice of the private sector using all their legal and civil capacity. Bargaining in silence may be a temporary painkiller, but failing to scream for the ecosystem’s most principal right to life is a strategic error. Iran’s digital economy today needs brave representatives who believe that the internet is an inalienable right, not a privilege that must be negotiated for in closed rooms.
