Iran Blocks Five Million Websites

By Yasmine S. Hakimian
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran - On November 19, Iranian judicial authorities confirmed that Iran has blocked access to more than five million websites. Facebook and YouTube are among some of the websites.

The sites are viewed as causing "social, political, economic and moral damage." According to Abdolsamad Khoram Abadi, an advisor to Iran's Prosecutor General, the internet allows enemies of Islam to assault the religion.

The internet has become increasingly important in the lives of many Iranians, specifically the younger generation. There are nearly 21 million internet users in Iran. Information ministry officials has noted Iran as one of the top 20 internet user countries.

Iran has blocked websites in the past, particularly political, human rights and women’s websites, including dissident blogs and pornography sites. However, the ban on five million sites is unparalleled.

In 2000, many blogger websites were shut down. Blog closures have increased under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and now newspapers and other media, including web sites and news agencies, are being targeted. Iranian internet service providers (ISP) have been ordered to ban access to all political, human rights and women's sites and weblogs expressing dissent or viewed to be anti-Islamic.

Iranian authorities have certain regulations restricting the use of the internet for readers, bloggers, and internet cafe owners. In accordance with Iranian law, every ISP must be approved by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Additionally, each ISP must install filters to control the content of websites and e-mails passing through their network.

Hessam, an internet cafe owner in Tehran, claims that the complicated registration process is designed to discourage people from creating new websites.

According to Sobh-e Sadegh, the publication of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the internet, satellite television and text messages were factors in the revolutions that took place in Serbia, Ukraine and Georgia. The publication claims Yahoo and Google search engines, BBC and CNN television, and even Reuters and Associated Press news agencies are media diplomacy tools. The publication believes the internet is developing into anti-Iranian cyber space.

For more information, please see:

Payvand’s Iran News - Iran Blocking Access to 5 Million Websites – 21 November 2008

Kuwait Times - Iran Blocks Access to Over Five Million Websites – 20 November 2008

The Media Line - YouTube, Facebook Banned in Iran – 20 November 2008

Yahoo - Iran Blocks Access to Over Five Million Websites – 20 November 2008