On Tuesday, Iranian state media reported that the Iranian authorities have lifted the ban on WhatsApp and Google Play, Meta’s instant messaging platform, as a preliminary measure to reduce internet restrictions.
The Islamic Republic maintains some of the most stringent Internet access regulations globally; however, Iranians who are technologically adept utilize virtual private networks to circumvent its restrictions on US-based social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday that a meeting chaired by President Masoud Pezeshkian resulted in a positive majority vote to remove restrictions on access to certain popular foreign platforms, including Google Play and WhatsApp.
IRNA cited Iran’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Sattar Hashemi, as stating, “Today, the initial step in eliminating internet restrictions has been taken.”
In Iran, anti-government protests were frequently conducted through social media platforms.
The United States requested assistance from Big Tech in September to circumvent online censorship in countries that severely restrict internet access, such as Iran.
