Lifting WhatsApp, Google Play filtering in Iran ‘a positive step, but more needed’

Former minister of communications, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, praised the move by the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, calling it a positive and necessary action.

He commended the president and other officials involved for understanding the importance of free communication in the digital age and the value of social capital.

However, Jahromi noted that public expectations go beyond the initial step, emphasizing the public continues to await the lifting of bans on other platforms.

Principalist journalist Mohammad Mohajeri also noted on X that while the government’s effort to lift the bans is commendable, it falls short of public demands.

He pointed out that the reliance on VPNs persists, regardless of the status of the platforms, indicating that the governance of cyberspace remains in the hands of VPN sellers.

Reza Alizadeh, chairman of the Parliament’s Industry and Mines Committee, criticized the inefficacy of filtering, stating that it only fuels the market for VPNs and increases public costs.

On Tuesday, before the removal of the ban, 136 members of the Iranian Parliament issued a letter ahead of the cyberspace council meeting, urging the continuation of filtering.

The Supreme Council of Cyberspace which oversees the internet in Iran, voted in favor of lifting the ban on WhatsApp, Google Play on Tuesday evening.