A leading Iranian newspaper has strongly criticized the country’s long-standing internet filtering policies, calling them a “failed strategy” that has eroded public trust, strained society, and fueled illegal markets.
The head of the Iranian Government Information Council, said on Wednesday discussions on lifting the ban on Telegram and other platforms may soon resume after being delayed due to recent conflicts with Israel.
Tehran’s Ettelaat newspaper has strongly criticized the government’s ongoing internet filtering policies, warning that restrictions are creating greater dangers for Iranian society.
Public debate has intensified in Iran over concerns that the government may implement controversial policies related to a “National Internet” and “Tiered Internet” system.
Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani stated that the Iranian government currently has no specific timeline for lifting the ban on Telegram social media app but emphasized that restricting internet access is not a core policy of the administration.
The director general of the Technology Development Office at Iran’s Ministry of Communications has advised senior government and military officials should avoid using the WhatsApp messaging app. amid tensions with Israel and its supporters.
According to a survey conducted by Iran’s Parliamentary Research Center, approximately 81% of internet users in the country rely on VPNs to bypass online restrictions. Additionally, more than half of respondents expressed skepticism about the Iranian government's ability to ease internet restrictions.
A member of the Iranian Parliament’s Social Committee, has announced that the ban on popular social media platforms Telegram and Instagram is expected to be lifted within the next six months.
The number of Iranian users accessing Starlink’s satellite internet service has grown significantly, with a 50% increase reported in less than two months, according to recent data.
Seyyed Ahmad Motamedi, former Minister of Communications and Information Technology, has strongly criticized the internet filtering policies imposed by Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace, calling them counterproductive to national security.
Iran's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Sattar Hashemi, has clarified that all social media platforms are included in the internet unblocking process with no exception.
Iran’s Deputy Minister of Communications and CEO of the Iranian Communications Infrastructure Company Behzad Akbari has slammed as unfair Google's recent actions against Iranian users and the suspension of Google Analytics due to sanctions.
Iran's Minister of Communications and Information Technology Seyed Sattar Hashemi said the administration of President Masoud Pezeshkian is working to lift restrictions on all social media platforms.
After months of anticipation for the lifting of internet restrictions, people in Iran were met with the much-lower-than-expectation news that only WhatsApp and Google Play have been unblocked.
In a significant move towards greater digital accessibility, the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, chaired by Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian, approved the unblocking of WhatsApp and Google Play.
A member of Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace has voiced his opposition to the government's step-by-step plan for lifting internet restrictions in the country.
Tehran’s Cyber Police Chief, Brigadier General Davood Moazzami Goudarzi, announced a crackdown on individuals causing public distress through "hidden camera" and Instagram challenge videos. This initiative led to the identification and closure of 40 Instagram accounts.
A renowned Iranian scholar of law, who has been in headlines in recent years for critiquing government policies, has lashed out at the current internet filtering in Iran, labeling it as unlawful and lacking any legal basis.
Deputy of the Moderation and Development Party Mahmoud Vaezi has criticized the Supreme Council of Cyberspace for preventing the lifting of internet filtering.
The secretary of the Social Committee of the Iranian Parliament says the administration of President Massoud Pezeshkian needs to urgently tackle several issues, including internet filtering, that could positively impact its social standing.
Iranian Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei’s accounts on Facebook and Instagram social media, with over 5 million followers, have been blocked apparently for supporting Palestinians amid the months-long Israeli genocide in Gaza.
Campaigners have raised the alarm over reports that verification for premium users of Twitter (renamed X by owner Elon Musk) will be carried out by an Israel-based firm founded by former Israeli intelligence officials.
Hundreds of social media users have called out mainstream media for what they say is a marked disparity in the coverage of last week’s fatal shipwreck in the Mediterranean and the missing Titanic-exploring submarine.
