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GAO-11-706R 1 (2011-06-30)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaanyv0001 and id is 1 raw text is: G AO a', A Gontability I Integrity * Reliability United States Government Accountability Office Washington, DC 20548 June 30, 2011 Congressional Committees: Subject: The U.S. Government Is Establishing Procedures for a Procurement Ban against Firms that Sell Iran Technology to Disrupt Communications but Has Not Identified Any Firms The U.S. Congress has found that the Iranian government continues to engage in systematic and ongoing violations of human rights, including the suppression of freedom of expression. Such violations have reportedly increased in the aftermath of the disputed presidential election in Iran on June 12, 2009. Of particular concern has been the Iranian regime's crackdown on freedom of expression and interference with the use of the Internet, mobile phones, and other means of communication in order to restrict the free flow of information. According to a Freedom House report, the Iranian authorities have employed extensive and sophisticated methods to tamper with Internet access, mobile phone services, and satellite broadcasting; monitor dissenters online; and use monitored information to intimidate and arrest dissenters.! The U.S. government, governments of other nations, and nongovernmental organizations have expressed concern that firms outside Iran have aided the Iranian government in monitoring and suppressing its citizens' activities. For example, in 2008, Nokia Siemens Network,2 as part of a contract for mobile phone network technology, sold communications monitoring equipment to the Iranian government. As a result of credible reports that the Iranian government misused the technology to suppress dissent and freedom of speech, the company halted all work related to monitoring centers in Iran in March 2009, according to a Nokia Siemens Network statement. Congress directed us to review issues related to Iran's monitoring, filtering, and disruption of information and communications flows in two mandates: (1) Section 106 of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 1Freedom House, Freedom on the Net 2011; A Global Assessment of Internet and Digital Media (Washington, D.C., and New York, New York, Apr. 18, 2011). According to Freedom House, it is an independent watchdog organization that functions as a catalyst for freedom, democracy, and the rule of law through its analysis, advocacy, and action. 2Nokia Siemens Network is a joint venture between the Finnish cell phone maker Nokia and the German company Siemens. GAO-11-706R Iran Communications Blocking

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