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.

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 lifts ban on WhatsApp and Google Play Store, restoring access to key communication and app platforms for users nationwide.

Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace on Dec 24 approved the lifting of blocks on certain widely used foreign platforms. Read more at straitstimes.com.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s government on Tuesday said it had lifted a ban on access to WhatsApp and Google Play after more than two years, the official IRNA news agency reported.

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

Iran said it will start easing some of the world’s tightest internet restrictions by lifting its ban on WhatsApp and Google Play — a sign that authorities want to placate domestic opponents as the Islamic Republic faces major economic and foreign-policy challenges.

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,

Allowing the use of WhatsApp and Google Play is the "first step in removing internet limitations," according to Iranian officials. The country still enforces draconian internet controls.

The move has sparked a debate in Iran, with critics of the restrictions arguing the controls were costly for the country

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