According to a report by State Media, Iranian authorities have taken the important decision to remove the ban on Meta’s WhatsApp and Google Play. This is the first step in reducing the country’s internet restrictions.
On Tuesday, the IRNA news agency declared that a majority vote had been cast to lift the ban on allowing citizens to access platforms like Google Play and WhatsApp. This decision was taken in a meeting led by President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Since taking over the office in July, Pezeshkian has pledged to alleviate the long-standing internet constraints in the country. As reported by IRNA, Sattar Hashemi, the Minister of Information and Communications Technology stated, “Today marks the first step in dismantling internet limitations.”
The timeline for when the decision that was taken will be implemented is still uncertain. Recent antigovernment protests in Iran have been heavily influenced by social media.
In September, the United States urged big tech companies to assist in getting over online censorship in countries like Iran that have imposed strict internet regulations. The prohibition sparked debates in Iran and critics have claimed that the limitations made people irritated and burdened financially. Presidential adviser Ali Rabiei his views on X, “The restrictions have achieved nothing but anger and added costs to people’s lives.”
Contrarily, others voice caution against the removal of these restrictions. As per the report by the reformist newspaper Shargh, 136 members of Iran’s 290-member parliament sent a letter to the council overlooking internet safety, claiming that this decision would be a gift to enemies of Iran. They urged that access to restricted platforms should only be allowed if they adhere to the values of Islamic society and follow Iranian laws. Other popular social media sites like Facebook, YouTube, and X continue to be blocked following their bans in 2009.
