The United States Government has countered Iranian Government over blocking citizens access to Internet by issuing General License to advance efforts and commitments to ensure that the Iranian people can freely access information online.
Secretary of State, Antony Blinken disclosed this in a statement on Friday, while this was coming against Iranian government’s efforts to surveil and censor its citizens to prevent them and the world from watching its violent crackdown on peaceful protestors.
The death of a young woman while in custody of Iran’s morality police has sparked protests across the country and around the world, as women burn their headscarves and cut their ponytails in protest of government’s restrictions on social freedoms.
Blinken said this update modernizes the Treasury Department license to expand free flow of information and access to fact-based information to people in Iran consistent with the new ways people use the Internet today, especially common communication activities of Iranians and use of the digital services.
“As a result of this expanded General License, technology firms will be able to provide more digital services to people in Iran, from access to cloud computing services to better tools to enhance their online security and privacy”.
According to Secretary of State, “We are taking this step against a stark backdrop. The Iranian government has cut off access to the Internet for most of its 80 million citizens to prevent them and the world from watching its violent crackdown on peaceful protestors.
“It is clear that the Iranian government is afraid of its own people. Mahsa Amini is senselessly, tragically dead, and now the government is violently suppressing peaceful protesters rightly angry about her loss.
“In the face of these steps, we are going to help make sure the Iranian people are not kept isolated and in the dark. This is a concrete step to provide meaningful support to Iranians demanding that their basic rights be respected”, he said.
Amini was approached by the morality police outside of a subway station while she was vacationing in Tehran on Sept. 13 and arrested for allegedly violating the country’s strictly enforced dress code, NBC News reported.
Police said Amini became ill, had a heart attack and fell into a coma, and she was declared dead on Sept. 16. Authorities denied mistreating Amini and said an investigation into her death is ongoing, but her family denied that she had prior health issues.
NBC News reports many protesters have chanted against the Iranian government and in favor of women’s rights, in addition to the public acts of defiance of the country’s dress code. Since 1979, women in Iran have been required to wear a headscarf and loose clothing while in public.
In response to the protests, police have fired live rounds and water cannons at the demonstrators, and have beaten them with clubs. At least 26 people have died during the protests in the country, according to Iranian state TV.
Iran has also limited access to Instagram, one of the only remaining social media platforms in the country, according to internet shutdown watchdog NetBlocks.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has ordered an investigation into Amini’s death and expressed his sympathy to Amini’s family in a phone call, according to his official website.
“Your daughter is like my own daughter, and I feel that this incident happened to one of my loved ones,” Raisi said. “Please accept my condolences”, the President said.