Iran’s government says it has lifted a ban on access to WhatsApp and Google Play after more than two years. That's according to the official IRNA news agency.

Iranian authorities have lifted a ban on Meta's instant messaging platform WhatsApp and Google Play as a first step to scale back internet restrictions, Iranian state media reported on Tuesday.

Iran’s government has faced criticism for years from ordinary Iranians, Western governments, the United Nations, and political activists for its draconian attitude toward the internet.

The Supreme Cyberspace Council, which is tasked with safeguarding the internet for Iranian citizens, voted unanimously to lift restrictions on a number of foreign-owned applications during a meeting today, according to a report by the state news agency IRNA.

Iran has officially lifted the ban on WhatsApp and the Google Play Store, signaling a significant shift in its internet policy. This move, part of President Masoud Pezeshkian's commitment to easing internet restrictions,

Decision reached during meeting of Iran's Supreme Council of Cyberspace, reports state-run news agency IRNA - Anadolu Ajansı

The ban on WhatsApp and Google Play was introduced in 2022 amid nationwide protests over the death of a woman detained by the morality police for allegedly violating strict dress codes.

The ban was lifted unanimously after it was deemed that that the restrictions have 'achieved nothing but anger and added costs to people's lives'.

In September the United States called on Big Tech to help evade online censorship in countries that heavily censor the internet, including Iran.