“Decision to Cut off Instagram not up to Communications Ministry”

He noted that the ministry must provide conditions in cyberspace to protect the rights of the people in this space.

Zarepour added that when the whole life of the people is tied to cyberspace, the government must definitely provide the necessary infrastructure to protect their rights and that this does not mean blocking at all, but it means legalizing and systematizing.

The Iranian minister of communications and information technology noted that this administration views information technology as an opportunity, saying, “We can use this tool to solve the country’s problems, improve efficiency, speed things up, establish a smart government, remove golden signatures, etc”.

Zarepour said all these are the capacities that information technology has created and they can be used to provide services to people.

The minister of communications and information technology added, “We will definitely make the most of this technology to solve people’s problems.”

Asked whether he meant people and businesses should not worry about cutting off Instagram, Zarepour said relevant authorities must make a decision in this regard. He said, “Our vision is to make maximum use of this tool to solve the country’s problems”.

He however noted that everything must be lawful so that if someone’s right is violated, he can follow it up, but the decision as to which platform to use or not is not up to the ministry of communications and information technology.