After more than two years, Iran has reopened access to WhatsApp and Google Play, allowing users to access these platforms once again.
The change was confirmed by the official IRNA news agency on Tuesday.
The decision came after a meeting of the Supreme Council of Cyber Space, which was led by the country`s reformist President, Masoud Pezeshkian. He had previously promised to relax online restrictions.
Telecommunication Minister Sattar Heshemi called this a "first step" in loosening internet controls and hinted that more social media platforms might become available in the near future. While some residents in Tehran and other cities were able to access these services on computers, mobile access has not yet been restored.
WhatsApp holds a significant position as Iran’s third most popular messaging app, right after Instagram and Telegram.
These platforms were originally blocked in 2022 during widespread protests. The protests were sparked by the death of a woman arrested by the morality police for allegedly breaking the country’s strict dress code.
The government responded with a harsh crackdown that continued into 2023, leading to hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests.
Iran has a history of limiting social media usage, but many citizens still manage to bypass these restrictions by using VPNs and proxies to access blocked platforms.
This recent development may signal the beginning of more openness in Iran’s digital landscape, but for now, residents are cautiously optimistic, waiting to see if mobile access and other platforms will follow.
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