Iran restores access to WhatsApp and Google Play after they were banned amid protests
Tehran, Dec 25: Iran's government on Tuesday said it had lifted a ban on access to WhatsApp and Google Play after more than two years, the official IRNA news agency reported.
The report said the country's Supreme Council of Cyber Space made the decision in a meeting led by reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, who has vowed to remove restrictions on social media.
Iran's telecommunication minister Sattar Heshemi in a post on X called the decision a “first step” in removing restrictions and said “the path will continue" — indicating the possibility of unblocking other services.
Many people reached by The Associated Press across the capital, Tehran, and other cities said they had access to the services on computers but not yet on mobile phones.
WhatsApp has been the third most popular messaging platform in Iran after Instagram and Telegram.
The ban on WhatsApp and Google Play was put in place in 2022 during mass protests against the government over the death of a woman held by the country's morality police for allegedly violating the strictly enforced dress code. The protests calmed in 2023 after a crackdown by police and security forces that led to the death of hundreds of people and the imprisonment of thousands.
Iran has blocked access to various social media platforms over the years but many people in the country use proxies and VPNs to access them.
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Security seals found intact, no leak in question paper: KPSC assures candidates
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Public Services Commission (KPSC) has clarified that there has been no leak in the question papers for the appointment of 384 posts in Group A and B gazetted probationers, and asked the candidates not to go by allegations and hearsay in the matter.
Candidates had expressed suspicion that the question paper of the General Studies 1 of KPSC main examination had leaked and filed a complaint in this regard on Monday, May 5. They added that the question papers were to be used for the examination held at the exam centre of BBMP Pre-university College (Affiliated) by the Mysuru Road in Kasturba Nagar.
KPSC, issuing a press release in response, has clarified that a close investigation has been conducted and deputy supervisor of the exam centre as well as the local invigilators appointed for the exams have been asked to submit comprehensive reports on the matter.
All the security seals on the covers, boxes and trunks carrying the question papers distributed at the examination centre were found to be in order, as was confirmed by candidates, examination sub-centre supervisors, local invigilators and room inspectors, the KPSC added in the release.
It has also assured the candidates that several precautionary measures are taken at various phases to provide transparency in the process of conducting examinations for various posts while maintaining confidentiality and preventing problems like leakage of the question papers.
