Ardavan Yousefi has become so accustomed to life under Iran’s strict internet restrictions that the recent decision to lift the ban on WhatsApp barely registered for him.
“Oh wow, is it really removed now?” Yousefi, a café owner from Tehran, asked, as he learned of the two-year ban on the popular app. To make sure, he turned off his virtual private network (VPN) and sent a message, only to find that while WhatsApp and Google Play services have been restored, many other platforms remain blocked.
“It doesn’t change much, since I still need VPNs for Instagram, Telegram, and other platforms,” said Yousefi, 31.
The decision from Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace to lift the WhatsApp ban came as Iranians continue to face economic challenges, including soaring inflation, a weakened currency, international sanctions, and rising tensions with regional rival Israel. In recent weeks, daily life has been disrupted by widespread closures of banks, government offices, and schools due to energy shortages, worsened by a cold wave. Air pollution has also intensified with the arrival of winter.
Amir Rashidi, director of digital rights and security at the U.S.-based advocacy platform Miaan Group, said the lifting of the WhatsApp ban was likely intended to create “minimal public satisfaction” in light of these broader issues.
“WhatsApp is less popular in Iran compared to platforms like Instagram and Telegram, which remain blocked,” said Rashidi.
Google Play, he added, “is not a platform for political dissent,” and thus authorities lifted its ban as it doesn’t pose a significant threat to the Islamic Republic’s stability.
Since the nationwide protests following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini in September 2022, Iranian authorities have blocked numerous apps and online services, accusing them of fostering unrest. Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, was arrested for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code requiring women to cover their heads and necks in public.
The restrictions have severely impacted online businesses that relied on platforms like Instagram for advertising and sales.
At the time, then-President Ebrahim Raisi blamed these apps for fueling unrest and insisted they would only be restored if they had legal representatives in Iran. Meta, the American tech giant that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, refused to establish offices in Iran due to U.S. sanctions.
President Masoud Pezeshkian, who took office in July, pledged to ease internet restrictions but has faced resistance from conservative lawmakers who argue that loosening curbs could benefit Iran’s enemies and insist access should comply with “Islamic values and laws.”
Critics have long argued that these restrictions hinder communication and business, forcing Iranians to rely on costly VPNs. Mehr news agency cited the telecommunications ministry, reporting that over 80% of Iranians online use VPNs.
Mehr also reported a plan to lift some restrictions on platforms like YouTube and Telegram through “governable portals,” though no timeline has been provided, and the move has not been officially confirmed.
Communication Minister Sattar Hashemi described lifting the WhatsApp ban as “the first step” toward greater internet freedoms. Amir Heidari, a 26-year-old software developer, said that while he wasn’t expecting more changes soon, restoring WhatsApp made things “much easier” for connecting with friends and family.
For Elaheh Khojasteh, a 31-year-old fitness trainer from Ahvaz in southwest Iran, the decision made little difference. “There are much more important concerns that need to be solved,” she said.
