Iran's proposed ban on foreign media contact
IranComments
does the proposed law define contact as digital or physical?
If the regime already utilizes pervasive digital surveillance, would a formal law actually change the current state of information flow, or is it more about creating a legal pretext for selective arrests?
We saw a similar pivot during the 2009 protests when the definition of espionage expanded to include simple coordination with foreign entities. That move successfully chilled casual reporting for years.
This mirrors the foreign agent laws seen in other autocratic contexts where the goal is legalistic repression. By shifting the crime from the act of journalism to the act of contact, they bypass the need to prove professional intent.
This is likely a response to the domestic unrest over fuel shortages. When the economy tanks, people start talking to outsiders to validate their experiences; the regime wants to cut those feedback loops.
You are ignoring the VPN factor. The real question is whether they can actually enforce this against encrypted traffic or if it is just meant to scare the non-tech-savvy population.