Several locally-developed instant messaging applications were reportedly restored in Iran on Tuesday (20 January), partially easing communications restrictions imposed after recent unrest.
Users were again able to access key functions on the platforms, including group chats, dynamic posts and multimedia sharing, marking the first significant rollback of controls since the nationwide shutdown.
Despite the move, Internet access remained blocked nationwide on Monday. Netblocks, a watchdog organization that monitors cybersecurity and digital governance, confirmed very slight increases in connectivity, though overall traffic remained far below normal levels.
Hossein Afshin, deputy for scientific affairs to the Iranian president, told reporters on Monday that internet restrictions will be “gradually” eased starting at the end of the week, though he offered no additional details.
Access to Google’s search engine was restored on Sunday, according to local media, a day after short message service (SMS) was reinstated.
The restoration of messaging apps follows a broader phased easing of communication bans amid one of the most extensive internet blackouts in the country’s recent history, imposed on 8 January.
The blackout was imposed amid the Iranian protests, which saw mass demonstrations against economic hardship and political repression that began in late December and continued into January.
The shutdown greatly limited the ability of journalists, rights groups and citizens to document or share news about the unrest, prompting criticism from international organisations, including calls from a United Nations fact-finding mission to restore internet and mobile communications amid reports of serious human rights violations.
U.S. President Donald Trump said late on Saturday he would hold off on a fresh attack on Iran as long as a deal could be reached quickly to halt Iran'...
Two firefighting helicopters collided while battling a major wildfire in Greece on Sunday, as emergency crews fought to contain blazes that have destr...
A deadly mass crossing from Morocco has placed renewed attention on Ceuta, a small Spanish territory on the North African coast that serves as one of ...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 1st of August, covering the latest developments.
A tourist aircraft crashed near Peru's UNESCO-listed Nazca Lines on Saturday (1 August), killing all 13 people on board, authorities said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said late on Saturday he would hold off on a fresh attack on Iran as long as a deal could be reached quickly to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Yemen's Houthi-run maritime coordination body on Saturday denied reports that it planned to charge commercial ships transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. It said no such decision had been made and that passage through the strategic waterway remains free.
Wildfires driven by strong winds spread across several parts of Greece on Saturday, including areas near Athens. Large-scale firefighting efforts and emergency evacuations were underway as wildfire conditions also deteriorated in parts of Spain and France.
Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan has appointed Nikol Pashinyan as prime minister on Sunday by decree after the previous government resigned following the first session of the newly elected National Assembly.
The United Nations has warned that Afghanistan’s worsening humanitarian and economic crises are leaving more people vulnerable to human trafficking, with returnees, women, children and indebted families facing the greatest risks.
Apple Pay has launched in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, expanding digital payment services across Central Asia and supporting the region's shift towards cashless transactions.
UNESCO has granted World Heritage status to 10 landmarks of Tashkent's modernist architecture, recognising the buildings that helped redefine Uzbekistan's capital after the devastating 1966 earthquake.
Israeli airstrikes continued in Gaza for a second straight day on Sunday, killing at least four Palestinians, despite U.S. President Donald Trump announcing a breakthrough in efforts to implement last year's Gaza ceasefire agreement.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment