Iran Lifts Restrictions on WhatsApp and Google Play

Key Points:

• Lifting Restrictions: Iran announced lifting access restrictions on widely used Western platforms, including WhatsApp and Google Play.
• Support for Domestic Platforms: Emphasis placed on regulated cyberspace governance and bolstering domestic platforms.
• Minister’s Statement: ICT Minister Sattar Hashemi thanked leaders and citizens for unity, signaling ongoing efforts for internet freedom.
• Presidential Promise: The move reflects President Masoud Pezeshkian’s campaign to ease internet restrictions and expand access.

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Web Desk — Iran announced on Tuesday the lifting of access restrictions on widely used Western web platforms, including the popular messaging app WhatsApp and the app store Google Play, Anadolu Agency reports.

During a meeting of Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace, as the Iranian news agency IRNA reported, “members reached a consensus to lift access restrictions on widely used foreign platforms, including WhatsApp and Google Play.”

The meeting, attended by senior government officials, Cabinet ministers, and council members, also highlighted “the importance of regulated governance in cyberspace and the need to support domestic platforms,” the agency noted.

“Today, we took the first step towards lifting internet restrictions with unity and collaboration. I thank the President, media, and activists for their efforts. We need this solidarity more than ever. This path continues,” commented Iran’s minister of information and communications technology, Sattar Hashemi, on X. The move aligns with President Masoud Pezeshkian’s campaign promise to ease internet restrictions and expand access for Iranian citizens.