Iranian government eases restrictions on WhatsApp and Google Play, allowing users to access these platforms for the first time in years. This move marks a significant shift in the country’s approach to internet controls.
Iran Eases Internet Restrictions: WhatsApp and Google Play Now Accessible
The Iranian government has announced a significant shift in its approach to internet restrictions. After years of strict controls, the country has lifted its ban on WhatsApp and Google Play, allowing users to access these popular foreign platforms.
According to Iranian officials, this move is the “first step in removing internet limitations.” Despite this development, the country still enforces draconian internet controls, with restrictions on US-based social media networks like Facebook, X, and YouTube remaining in place. The messaging service Telegram was also banned by a court order in April 2018.
The decision to lift the ban on WhatsApp and Google Play was reportedly made after a meeting headed by President Masoud Pezeshkian. Iran’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology Sattar Hashemi stated that this move is “the first step in removing internet limitations.”
It’s worth noting that these restrictions have been routinely bypassed by tech-savvy Iranians using virtual private networks (VPN). Social media platforms were widely used during anti-government protests in the country.
The US has called on big tech companies to help evade online censorship in countries like Iran, which heavily censor the internet.
