In exchange for drones, Russia gave Iran technology to suppress protests - WSJ

The Russian government has provided Iran with technology to suppress protests in exchange for the supply of drones. In particular, it includes software for surveillance through communication channels, as well as eavesdropping devices, photographic equipment, and lie detectors.

Source. The Wall Street Journal writes about this with reference to people familiar with the situation. According to them, software for hacking smartphones and other devices was probably also provided.

Mass protests broke out in Iran last year. Iranian authorities slowed down the speed of Internet traffic in areas where demonstrators gathered. Digital surveillance was used to hunt down and arrest protesters.

Anti-government protests have been going on for seven months. Initially, Iranians protested against the actions of the police, which resulted in the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, accused of wearing the hijab incorrectly. Then the list of demands expanded to include cultural, religious, and social reforms, up to and including a transition to secular democracy.

In January, the Citizen Lab, a research center at the University of Toronto, published a report that Russia's Proteus Scientific and Technical Center had begun supplying Iranian mobile operator Ariantel with surveillance and censorship software.

Given Russia's more advanced technical base, any transfer of communications monitoring equipment would improve Iran's cyber capabilities, Annie Fixler, a cyber policy analyst at the Washington-based Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told WSJ.

Background. As reported, Brazil's president is proposing to create a "peace club" for Ukraine together with China.