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.
Azerbaijani families of people missing since the Garabagh conflict have taken their appeal to EU officials in Brussels, calling for greater interna...
A peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia could be signed in 2027 or 2028, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday, state news...
Kazakhstan is preparing sweeping military reforms after 14 service members died during exercises in the Caspian Sea. President Kassym-Jomart Tokaye...
Russia is willing in principle to resume peace talks with Ukraine and the United States in November, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said after President Vladimir Putin met U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg.
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said. Meanwhile, Russia said it had intercepted the vast majority of 630 Ukrainian drones launched towards Moscow.
Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on Dammam airport, while Iran's IRGC Navy claimed strikes on seven vessels and warned the U.S. of a wider response.
Yemen's Houthis have denied targeting the holy city of Medina on Wednesday adding that they have not conducted any military operations towards Saudi Arabia either, denying earlier comments from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.
Georgia’s Constitutional Court in Batumi will on Wednesday hear a lawsuit seeking to ban five Georgian opposition parties, four of which collectively gained 784,820 votes (37.79 per cent) in the country’s last national elections in 2024.
Azerbaijani families of people missing since the Garabagh conflict have taken their appeal to EU officials in Brussels, calling for greater international support in clarifying the fate of their relatives and locating mass graves.
A peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia could be signed in 2027 or 2028, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday, state news agency Armenpress reported.
Kazakhstan is preparing sweeping military reforms after 14 service members died during exercises in the Caspian Sea. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev approved the plans on 21 October, with major changes to training, oversight and defence capabilities set to begin in 2027.
Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on Dammam airport, while Iran's IRGC Navy claimed strikes on seven vessels and warned the U.S. of a wider response.
Iranian officials have stepped up warnings of retaliation amid the threat of renewed U.S.-Israeli strikes, while signalling that a diplomatic solution remains possible if Washington demonstrates a sincere commitment to rebuilding trust.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment