Iran has restored blocks on Facebook and Twitter after a “technical glitch” briefly removed filters from the social networks overnight.
Iranians gained direct access to the sites for the first time i𒁃n four years because of a fault, an official said, denying suggestions the government had lifted a ban in place since anti-government protests in 2009, some of which were organised on socia🐲l media.
Newly elected President Hassan Rouhani has pledged greater engagement with the🦹 West and a new openness in Iran.
It has been suggested the “glitch” could point to internal power struggles between groups seeking to reopen Facebook and other social networking sites and hard-liners in the establishment, who remain in control of Internet access.
But Abdo📖lsamad Khoramabadi, secretary of a state committee tasked with monitoring and filtering sites, said problems with some Iranian Internet service providers (ISPs) had allowed the access, and the government was investigating.
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