Iran lifts ban on overseas platforms such as WhatsApp and Google Play

On December 24 local time, the Iranian government held a meeting of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, where the majority of committee members voted to lift restrictions on access to "popular overseas platforms" such as WhatsApp and Google Play. The meeting also emphasized the importance of regulating cyberspace governance and the necessity of supporting domestic platforms. Lifting internet restrictions was one of the promises made by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during his campaign. Raisi stated at the meeting: "Investigations show that the goals of internet restriction measures have generally not been achieved. While emphasizing the need to develop cyberspace governance to prevent its harms, we believe that continuing restriction measures is unacceptable due to the dissatisfaction it has caused among the public."