In Iran, where access to foreign social media and messaging platforms such as Telegram, Facebook, X, and YouTube is blocked, the public is waiting for this barrier to be lifted.

It was reported that 80% of the people in the capital, Tehran, are demanding the removal of the restrictions imposed on foreign social media applications. During a meeting of the Tehran Province Planning and Development Council, Iranian Deputy President Muhammad Cafer Kaimpenah provided information about a survey conducted to determine the satisfaction and concerns of Tehran residents. Kaimpenah stated that a survey involving 2,000 participants was conducted to identify the most significant issues in the province, questioning people’s satisfaction. The satisfaction rates of Tehran residents were 45% for public transportation, 33% for education opportunities, 33% for drinking water, and 30% for traffic conditions. Kaimpenah revealed that 32% of Tehran’s population is dissatisfied with air pollution, while 18% are unhappy about irregular migration. He stated that 80% of Tehran residents are against the filtering of social networks. According to the survey, Kaimpenah expressed that 54% of the people believe that the country’s problems stem from sanctions and external pressures, and expressed a satisfaction rate of 74% for President Pezeshkian.

SOCIAL MEDIA HAS BEEN BANNED FOR A LONG TIME Social media and messaging platforms are blocked in Iran, including Telegram, Facebook, X, and YouTube. Limitations were imposed on the country’s most widely used social media and messaging networks like WhatsApp and Instagram during the initial days of protests that started after a young woman died in police custody in September 2022. Nevertheless, Iranian users are able to access applications through password-cracking programs (VPNs). The government led by President Pezeshkian, who promised to lift most of the internet restrictions during the campaign, lifted the WhatsApp ban in December. Despite being banned in the country, the social media platform X is actively used by top state officials.