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Iranian Court Blocks Instagram Access

Popular photo-sharing app blocked in Iran due to privacy concerns

Iran has blocked Instagram, according to a report by the Associated Press. Credit:

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A court in Iran issued a nationwide ban of Instagram this Friday, according to a report by the Associated Press. The popular photo-sharing app joins a list of other banned social media services in the country, including Twitter and Instagram's parent Facebook.

The ban apparently stems from a private lawsuit, resulting in a court order to shut off access to the service amid privacy concerns. The ban was handed down to Iran's Ministry of Telecommunications yesterday, though the AP report states that by noon Friday some citizens still had access to Instagram in Tehran.

There's been a dichotomy among Iran's population for some time, with top government officials employing social media for political and diplomatic purposes while the country's youth are denied free access. Many of the country's youth still access social media via proxy servers, often using the services to protest government actions.

One such London-based Facebook page called Stealthy Freedom for Iranian Women, asked for Iranian women to submit photos of themselves without their veils on.

This isn't the first time that Iran has blocked Instagram, with the country shutting down access to the service for 12 hours in December of last year. At this point, it's unclear when the current court order will go into effect, or when it might expire—if ever.

Via: Associated Press

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