As per a judicial order issued on Tuesday, Telegram has been blocked in Iran. Since then mobile Internet users’ access to the services has been barred and landline subscribers have been experiencing disrupted communications.
Without mentioning the blockage, the government of President Hassan Rouhani issued a statement on Dolat.ir outlining the administration’s policies in regard to cyberspace.
The statement acknowledges fast, inexpensive access to information as an undeniable civil right and names enabling people to choose their preferred mode of communications and standing against blocking services as the government’s responsibility. Furthermore, preserving citizens’ privacy is mentioned as a top priority.
Later Rouhani’s top ICT man, Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi, took to Twitter to say, “Even if a single application is blocked, citizens’ access to information cannot be obstructed. Other applications will emerge and people will gain free access to information again. This is in the nature of the current era, the age of communications.”
In response to many who claim that Telegram has been a lair for criminals, the ICT minister is of the opinion that technologies should not be disparaged as sources of crime and corruption and that it is users who decide how to apply a tool.
He further wrote, “No one can impede technology’s growth and expansion.” According to Azari-Jahromi, any endeavor to thwart and hinder technology is doomed to failure and leads to self-imposed isolation.
“In order to preserve civil rights and address the prevailing antagonism against social media networks, [comprehensive] policies in regard to emerging media platforms [and social media networks] need to be introduced,” he added.
Concluding the thread, Azari-Jahromi pointed to the universal concern of governments over how to regulate online platforms implying that the issue must be addressed globally.
