Some 180 online hospitality agencies whose websites were blocked due to a judicial order are back online after the ICT Ministry censured the blockade as heavy-handed and wrong.
Last week, following a media frenzy over online travel agencies overcharging customers, the judiciary issued an order whose enforcement made the website of 180 e-travel agencies inaccessible. Since then and following a public backlash and ICT Ministry's mounting pressure on the judiciary, the ban has been removed, Peivast reported.
Initially, Deputy Attorney General Abdolsamad Khoramabadi took to his channel on the local messenger app Soroush to explain why the services had been blocked.
He said the websites got the ax after the judiciary received requests from the Roads Ministry and the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran calling for the online travel agencies websites to be blocked.
In response to Khoramabadi's comments, Iran's Information Technology Organization board chairman Amir Nazemi twitted that the CAO has had nothing to do with barring access to online travel agencies.
In a chain of tweets, Nazemi put forth an alternative narrative saying that "some seeking personal gains have pushed the legal entities to implement the measures," which as he implies have nothing to do with the public's interests or an infringement.
Nazemi further criticized the judiciary for the rash measure likening blocking an online firm's website to "a death blow to the business." The chain of tweets was re-posted by ICT Minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi.
>Strong Advocate of E-Commerce
President Hassan Rouhani's administration has always been a staunch supporter of online businesses and startups. During Rouhani's tenure, the sector has thrived creating thousands of jobs.
Earlier on Monday and during a sitting of Iran's High Commission of Cyber Space headed by President Rouhani, a directive was issued calling on the judiciary to implement safeguards to curb the negative impact of such sudden blockages on the firms.
As per the directive, in case the judiciary observes any infringement of law on behalf of startups, the state entity should issue a notice directing the business how to address the issue and also to provide it with some time to fall into line. In case a firm fails to comply with the requests, then a blockage will be authorized.
Hopefully, such safeguards will provide online firms with some respite and remove a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads.
