Iran’s Supreme Council, responsible for protecting the internet, voted on Tuesday to lift a ban on popular messaging application WhatsApp, which has been banned for two years, state media reported.
“Ban on WhatsApp and Google Play lifted by unanimous vote of members of Supreme Council of Cyberspace,” official IRNA The news agency said.
“Today, we have taken the first step towards removing restrictions on the Internet by mutual consent,” Communications Minister Sattar Hashmi said on X.
It was not immediately clear when the decision would take effect.
The move has sparked a debate in Iran, with critics of the sanctions saying the controls are costly for the country.
“Sanctions have achieved nothing but anger and increased prices in people’s lives,” presidential adviser Ali Rabiei said on X on Tuesday.
Others, however, warned against lifting restrictions.
Reformist Shargh Daily It was reported on Tuesday that 136 lawmakers out of the 290-member parliament sent a letter to the council saying the move would be “a gift to (Iran’s) enemies.”
Lawmakers insisted on allowing access to restricted online platforms only if they adhere to the values of Islamic society and comply with Iran’s laws.
Iranians have become accustomed to using virtual private networks, or VPNs, to bypass Internet restrictions over the years.
Other popular social media platforms including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube have been blocked since the ban in 2009.
In September 2022, Instagram and WhatsApp were added to the list of blocked applications following nationwide protests following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini.
Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, was previously arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s women’s dress code.
In the months that followed, hundreds of people, including dozens of security personnel, were killed and thousands of protesters were arrested in nationwide protests.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezhashkian, who took office in July, pledged during the election campaign to ease longstanding internet restrictions.