Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani is a major presence on Instagram, where his verified account regularly sends out posts to an audience of more than 2 million followers. But Rouhani’s account will no longer be officially allowed in the country after authorities in Iran announced plans to ban the photo sharing app, citing national security concerns. Iran’s National Cyberspace Council has approved steps to block Instagram, according to local reports, following crackdowns on other social media apps. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Telegram are already banned in the Islamic Republic, with internet providers ordered to block access to the services. The apps have often been used as a way to spread anti-government messages, with Telegram in particular, often cited as a national security concern.
Iran’s National Cyberspace Council has approved plans to ban the photo sharing app, the last major social media service officially available in the country. Facebook, Telegram, Twitter and YouTube have already been banned within the republic, although many Iranians continue to access their services, which have been used to spread anti-government messages, by using overseas internet addresses. Iran’s President, Hassan Rouhani, currently has Instagram and Twitter accounts, and his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also has a large Twitter following.