Iran lifts ban on Telegram imposed during December protests

Iran has lifted a ban on instant messaging application Telegram, media reports said on Sunday.

The ban on the application, that the government had accused of helping mobilise widespread anti-government protests in December, was lifted on Saturday night, Efe news reported, quoting official news agency IRNA.

Users in Iran can once again use the app on their mobile devices without the help of virtual private networks (VPNs) or other similar tools to avoid government filters, Efe had verified.

Telegram has more than 40 million users in the country and was one of the media used toward the end of December to organise protests against rising inflation and corruption in the country.

Clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces had left at least 20 people dead, while more than a thousand were arrested.

Instagram, which is also very popular in Iran, was also temporarily blocked by the government during the protests.

--IANS

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