Iran Restores Access to WhatsApp and Google Play Store

The Iranian Supreme Court of Cyberspace lifted the ban on WhatsApp and the Google Play Store on Tuesday with a unanimous ruling. After nearly twenty years of censorship, this is a major shift in the Islamic Republic’s stance on the internet.

The country’s state media reported the move. The Iranian government may change how it handles digital communication.

Sattar Hashemi, minister of communications, announced on Twitter. He announced the first step towards reducing internet restrictions by consensus today.

The decision’s implementation timeline has yet to be published. A number of Iranian and international parties have begun to discuss the implications of the lifting of the ban.

According to critics, the strict Islamic government’s limitations have simply made things more expensive and frustrating for the people. Nevertheless, many legislators have voiced their concerns about the decision. Out of Iran’s 290-seat parliament, 136 representatives wrote to the council.

The congressmen expressed concern in their letter that the lifting of the restriction may be seen as a “gift” to Iran’s adversaries. They informed the council that in order to gain access to limited platforms, compliance with Iranian laws and adherence to the values of an “Islamic society” is necessary.

Virtual private networks (VPNs) have become an increasingly popular way for Iranians to get around censorship online. Iran has made a move by unblocking WhatsApp and Google Play, but other major social media platforms like Facebook, X, and YouTube have been prohibited since 2009 and are still inaccessible.

Protests over the murder of Mahsa Amini in September 2022 prompted the government to apply the Instagram and WhatsApp prohibitions.

Officials from the three departments of government, as well as ministries and Supreme Council members, met to decide to suspend the prohibition.

The main topic of conversation was going over and changing the rules for running the internet. The council gave its approval to the amendments to the current limits after reviewing them with the related authorities.

The decision is also consistent with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s campaign vow to loosen long-standing internet restrictions.