Investigating the Capabilities of Cyberspace in Creating and Spreading the Country's Security Crises: Case Study, Google

While communication infrastructure was under development in the country, modern communication tools in the form of cyberspace gained increased usability and hence spread rapidly. In this process, while facilitating communication, new opportunities and threats are being inherently introduced, though this has not been followed up with regard to the ability of this process to create and exacerbate security crises in the country, commensurate with the technical development of these infrastructures. This puts Google in a peculiar position, since it has several services and products online. Their importance relates to the emphasis that the Supreme Leader has put on this research, and it relates to the national security of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The general question of this research is that, "What are the capabilities of the cyberspace Google to create and expand security crises in the country?" This research, owing to its nature, is an applied research based on a descriptive-analytical method where in the collection of data; the method of a documentary study has been used. It also used a qualitative method for data analysis and did thematic analysis. Among various products of Google, which have been used by people in Iran, several instances that are most consumed are selected and analyzed based on the question of the research. Some of the most significant threats which are connected with the most known and widely used Google services include: espionage, directing subversive actions, assassination, contamination, disruption of crisis management, undermining of the moral grounds in society, creation of conditions for, initiation, expansion, and acceleration of public discontent, determination of the grounds for crises and disturbances, acting as a catalyst and accelerator of crises, providing anti-security training, identifying the supply and demand market and critical inventories.