Iran partially prohopits Instagram access

Iran has started implementing smart filtering system for limiting an access to certain pages in Instagram, Fars news agency reported.

An access to “offensive” content of the Instagram, a popular photo sharing network is banned.

The Islamic Republic has recently unveiled its first “smart filtering software” which is capable of accurate and rapid detecting “inappropriate” content (including text, image and video) online.

The new software is a step from the existing filtering system in Iran that blocks an access to the whole website.

Launching the project may increase hopes about lifting a ban on popular social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.

Earlier in September 2013 Iranian media outlets quoted member of Iran's Committee on Internet filtering Mohammad Reza Aghamiri as saying that Facebook may be unblocked after developing a smart filtering system for separating illegal and useful content on the social network.

It should be noted that users in Iran are still able to access the banned websites including Facebook via proxies. A proxy allows bypassing 'gates' meant to block certain sites. A survey by Iranian Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports indicates that 69.3 percent of the country's young generation use proxy servers to by-pass the filters and access the banned Internet websites.

About four million Iranians are using Facebook, according to the culture minister, Ali Jannati who is also a user of the website.

/By Trend/