The Governance and Regulation of Video Platforms in Iran: From the Conflict over the Regulatory Authority to Content Moderation (Case Study: Aparat)

The purpose of this paper is to discuss discusses the legal and technological challenges and disputes about the governance and regulation of user-generated video platforms. In this paper, by focusingon the Aparat video service, we will show how the issue of Content management has become a legal challenge. The regulation of video platforms in Iran, whether platforms that provide subscription video-on-demand services or platforms that mediate user-generated content sharing, has created some legal disputes. This conflict has different levels Its first level is related to the definition of video content. Its primary manifestation is the continuation of the conflicts on the definition of "expanded audio and video." The second level is the determination of the regulatory authority. The establishment of Satra and the difference between the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the IRIB regarding the institution in charge of this area is remarkable from this point of view. The third level of this controversy is about the mode of content moderation. Considering these different levels, this article shows how these disputes have emerged at the level of content moderation. Presenting a comprehensive communication law in Iran by determining a macro-regulatory body that considers the technological developments of the media, deciding on the limits and responsibilities of users or platforms, and developing a content moderation mechanism are the main suggestions of this article.