Conflicts over Internet filtering and citizen involvement online has once again reached the highest levels of power in Iran. The president, head of the judiciary, the prosecutor-general and a number of right-wing media outlets have openly addressed the situation, with most of the criticism aimed at President Hassan Rouhani.

The recent round of disagreement over the presence of Iranians online began May 17 during the National Communications and Information Technology Festival. Rouhani defended the Iranian people's online activity and criticized the harsh policies of imposing limitations on the Internet. "In this country, we recognize our citizens' right to connect to the World Wide Web," he said. "We do not actually come face-to-face with other people. Yet, the effects of cyberspace are quite visible on society and the country. It even influences people's lifestyle."

The presence of Iranians online and Internet censorship were issues heavily discussed by Rouhani while campaigning for the presidency. On June 6, 2013, he said, "The current Internet bandwidth [available] is not what the Iranian people deserve," adding, "Today we live in a world of communication. Unfortunately, however, some people think they are living in the 19th century."

Ali Honari, a sociology lecturer in Amsterdam University who has focused for the past five years on the role of social networks in mobilizing forces in Iran, told Al-Monitor that one reason Rouhani has focused so heavily on online participation is that he lacks an actual political party or base. "The 2013 presidential elections clearly demonstrated the role that the social networks and various groups that are active in them played in Rouhani's victory,” he said. “In the absence of Reformist election headquarters, street campaigns were organized using the Internet and social networks. They used different methods of online campaigning, changed the atmosphere of the society during the final weeks and convinced a lot of people that they should participate in the election."