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AP Photo/Vahid Salemi

Social media blocked again in Iran after 'glitch' freed users

Blocks on Twitter and Facebook were lifted for several hours overnight due to what Iranian officials called a “technical glitch”.

IRANIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE restored blocks on Twitter and Facebook after filters on the social networks were lifted for several hours overnight.

The brief access was a “technical glitch” that was quickly rectified, according to communications official Abdolsamad Khoramabadi who is from the board overseeing internet in Iran.

But it could also point to increasing internal struggles between groups seeking to reopen Facebook and other social networking sites, and hard-liners in the Iranian establishment, who remain firmly in control of internet access.

Many Facebook and Twitter followers in the capital, Tehran, and other Iranian cities assumed the surprise internet freedoms late on Monday were the result of policies by newly elected President Hasan Rouhani, who has pledged more outreach to the West and a new openness in Iran.

Scores of Facebook users posted notes of “Rouhani, Mochakerim,” which is Farsi for “Thank you, Rouhani.”

“God liberated Facebook,” wrote Mohammad Reza on his Facebook, adding that it was his happiest time ever.

The postings quickly subdued when reality struck and the sites were no longer available on Tuesday morning, forcing Iranian internet users to again have to go through proxy servers for access.

The semi-official Mehr news agency quoted Khoramabadi, the communications official, as saying that board members were unclear as to what had caused the “technical failure regarding some internet service providers.” He warned of unspecified measures if it turns out to have been an international move against Iran.

“We will take action if there was a human flaw,” said Khoramabadi. “We are probing it.”

image(Facebook users posted “Rouhani, Mochakerim,” Farsi for “Thank you, Rouhani.” Pic: AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Some Internet users raised other suspicions.

Amir Reza wrote on his page that the brief access was a trick by Iran’s cyber police to trace Iranian users of Facebook.

Iran has blocked Facebook, Twitter and other social networks after they were widely used by opposition supporters during mass street protests following the disputed 2009 re-election of Rouhani’s predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Several members of Rouhani’s Cabinet now have their own Facebook pages but there are internal tensions among Iran leadership over whether the Internet is ultimately a force to be expanded or best kept tightly controlled.

Disputes have even broken out — on Web-based Iranian news sites — over the authenticity of some of the Facebook pages linked to some ministers.

Read: UN envoy arrives in Syria for talks on chemical weapons probe >

Read: CIA (finally) admits it masterminded the 1953 coup in Iran >

Read: New Iran PM wants “serious” nuclear talks >

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27 Comments
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    Mute Joe Sixtwo
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    Sep 17th 2013, 4:43 PM

    The Religious hate freedom, information and education. It is all about control, brainwashing and power. Hopefully the people of Iran will someday get rid of the Theocratic fascists that are ruining their lives and their future.

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    Mute Flip Flopper
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    Sep 17th 2013, 4:55 PM

    Ruining their lives?!

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    Mute Flip Flopper
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    Sep 17th 2013, 4:57 PM

    Give me a run down on how their lives are ruined

    Facebook tends to ruin a few lives this side of the world

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    Mute Ailbhe O'Nolan
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    Sep 17th 2013, 5:02 PM

    Brainwashing, restriction of information and the overall controlling of people. It’s not simply about the lack of facebook, it’s about the strict control of people and furthermore their human rights breaches

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    Mute Flip Flopper
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    Sep 17th 2013, 5:06 PM

    Explain the brainwashing to me? If the government was over thrown, who would take its place, a secular government? Think again.

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    Mute Flip Flopper
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    Sep 17th 2013, 5:07 PM

    Every government controls people

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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Sep 17th 2013, 5:58 PM

    Are you seriously defending a government in censorship Flip Flopper?

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    Mute Alan Burke
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    Sep 17th 2013, 6:18 PM

    Flip the religion is the brainwashing

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    Mute Thosj Carroll
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    Sep 17th 2013, 6:33 PM

    Flip, why don’t u go & live in Iran?

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    Mute Flip Flopper
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    Sep 17th 2013, 8:04 PM

    I’m not, I’m just questioning the sensationalist comment made above,

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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Sep 17th 2013, 8:40 PM

    Wait… you’re throwing in several flippant comments which do little to display your depth of knowledge on Iran, censorship, religious and social freedoms and you call that sensationalist!?

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    Mute Flip Flopper
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    Sep 17th 2013, 9:17 PM

    To the contrary, I would say my knowledge of Iran would be well above average.

    I just don’t tow the line of the usual rhetoric bandied about, the government is ruining the lives of its citizens?

    The 1979 revolution was a popular revolt, a religious revolt.

    Western media paint a picture of oppression and suffering in Iran, when unemployment was around the 7 point mark before the latest embargoes were put in place.

    What is the alternative in Iran at the moment Tony?

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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Sep 17th 2013, 9:49 PM

    No freedom of information and expression, stoning, etc…. you think that’s not oppressive?

    The alternative – allow people to move out of the dark ages and not be beaten or stoned because they have questions or because of reasons of what gender or sexuality they were born to.

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    Mute Flip Flopper
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    Sep 17th 2013, 10:09 PM

    A move away from Sharia law? In essence a secular movement in what is deeply religious country.

    Not realistic at all Tony.

    Stonings are part of Sharia law and come from the Quran and Iran is an Islamic state.

    We let child rapists away with suspended sentences in this country.

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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Sep 17th 2013, 10:33 PM

    Iran is religious as a state – its people are as silent about their personal feelings in the same stupid way Ireland used to be silent about anything against the church here.

    And I’m afraid you’ve moved this into such a conversation.

    The reality is that this story is about internet censorship which is wrong – simple.

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    Mute Mikie Twoshoes
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    Sep 17th 2013, 4:45 PM

    Obviously someone really wanted to watch the current episode of Breaking Bad… It’s understandable.

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    Mute Tesla Tower
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    Sep 17th 2013, 6:55 PM

    Thanks Adam we all forgot or weren’t up to date still you can’t ruin it for people anyways as it was the very beginning. Did you see the pants from s1ep1?

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    Mute GOLDEN ARMS
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    Sep 17th 2013, 7:46 PM

    Good man Adam, tw4t

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    Mute Joey JoeJoe Shabadoo
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    Sep 17th 2013, 5:26 PM

    Poor oppressed b*$tards.

    Hopefully someone got a few mins of “lolcats” before access was restricted again!

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    Mute Anthony Byrne
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    Sep 17th 2013, 4:47 PM

    Better off without FB !

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    Mute andrew
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    Sep 17th 2013, 7:23 PM

    if it disappeared in the morning nothing would change for the worse.

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    Mute tom
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    Sep 17th 2013, 4:39 PM

    Between blocking and taxing the internet some governments just go to far

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    Mute Stephen
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    Sep 17th 2013, 4:59 PM

    Lucky bast@rds

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    Mute Chief PP In TeePee
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    Sep 17th 2013, 6:50 PM

    I’ve a website and over the last year 300,000 unique Iranians visited the site, there’s social activity on it and I’d honestly say most of my facebook commenters on the site are Iranian so even if their government try block facebook and twitter they have always seemed to get around the block

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    Mute Pauliebhoy
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    Sep 17th 2013, 6:17 PM

    The old streaming site for sports had a great name, http://www.iraqgoals.net

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    Mute Richard Keogh
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    Sep 17th 2013, 10:30 PM

    I pity the guy who caused the glitch, he’ll most likely be condemned as an Israeli spy and end up swinging from a rope hoisted by a crane.

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    Mute Ronnie Fitzgerald Jnr
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    Sep 17th 2013, 11:35 PM

    Hopefully they didn’t log on to the journal..what a waste of glitch time!

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