Iran said it will start easing some of the world’s tightest internet restrictions by lifting its ban on WhatsApp and Google Play — a sign that authorities want to placate domestic opponents as the Islamic Republic faces major economic and foreign-policy challenges.

Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace on Dec 24 approved the lifting of blocks on certain widely used foreign platforms. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Iranian authorities have lifted a ban on Meta’s instant messaging platform WhatsApp and Google Play as a first step to scale back internet restrictions.

Iran has officially lifted the ban of Meta's WhatsApp messenger and the Google Play Store, a week after the Islamic nation put on hold a stringent Hijab law, which had been passed by the Iranian Parliament in September 2023.

Iranian authorities remove restrictions on Meta's messaging platform WhatsApp and on Google Play, marking an initial move to ease internet limitations.

The move has sparked a debate in Iran, with critics of the restrictions arguing the controls were costly for the country

Iran is known for having some of the strictest internet rules across the world. Further, the Iranian authorities have blocked access to US-based social media applications such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.