Activists all across protest-ridden Iran have expressed their concerns regarding rampant internet outages. Residents have reported that they are unable to access popular social media applications. Instagram and Whatsapp, the two major communication tools on the internet, have been restricted as per reports of NetBlocks, an internet monitoring group. Millions of Iranians use the two Meta-owned applications, which have grown in popularity as a result of the government’s recent blocking of other websites like Facebook and Twitter. Other popular applications that were periodically closed down were TikTok, YouTube, and Telegram.
Social Media halt in Iran
Adam Mosseri, the chief of Instagram, recently tweeted that people in Iran were being deprived of access to online apps and services. He hopes that the right to be online is restored soon. However, Meta has been accused of being complicit in disconnecting users in Iran. Persian-speaking reviewers in the Meta team look at and delete stuff that doesn’t adhere to their rules. A post that has violated the community standards of Meta has been flagged by technology or reported by users will be removed. On the other hand, Whatsapp has revealed that it is working to restore services to the people of Iran at the earliest.
Nationwide Protests in Iran
Following the detainment of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, for failing to adhere to hijab rules, nationwide protests erupted in Iran. The Kurdish woman reportedly died while in police custody. Iranian women across the country are raging against this outrageous event and demanding to be free from clothing restrictions, especially hijab-related regulations, imposed by the government.
