Iran restricts access to Instagram after Mahsa Amini protests

Iran has restricted access to Instagram, one of the last remaining social media platforms in the country, amid protests over the death of a woman named Mahsa Amini in police custody, internet shutdown observatory NetBlocks said.

The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by morality police in Tehran for “unsuitable attire”, last week has unleashed simmering anger.

London-based NetBlocks’ data shows a near-total disruption to internet service in parts of Kurdistan province in west Iran since Monday, while the capital city of Tehran and other parts of the country have also faced disruptions since Friday when protests first broke out.

Protests have been particularly intense in Kurdistan.

Iran’s minister of communications said earlier on Wednesday he had been misquoted after news outlets cited him as saying the authorities might disrupt internet services for security reasons. read more

Social media websites such as TikTok, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook are routinely blocked in parts of the Islamic Republic, which has some of the strictest internet controls in the world. But tech-savvy residents bypass curbs using virtual private networks (VPNs).

Meta and Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had said on Monday the company will ask for an exemption from sanctions against Iran to provide Starlink satellite broadband service in the country.

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