Iran blocks Gmail ahead of anniversary

11 Feb 2010, 1:40 pm   -   Source: SBS staff and agencies
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Google's email service has been blocked by authorities in Tehran in order to minimise expected protests ahead of the anniversary of the Iranian revolution.

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Google has confirmed reports that Iranian users are having difficulty accesing Gmail, following newspaper reports that Google's email service has been blocked by authorities in Tehran.

Reports suggest the Iranian government is doing so in order to minimise expected protests ahead of the anniversary of the Iranian revolution.

The Wall Street Journal reports the Gmail ban is permanent, saying a national email service for Iranians could soon be in place to fill the gap.

Google now says it can confirm a sharp drop in traffic, and it has looked at its own networks , finding them to be working properly.

Internet and mobile phone services have also been disrupted before the anniversary, the paper says.

Users identifying themselves as Iranian have flooded Google's Help forum, saying they can no longer open Gmail.

There was no immediate comment from Tehran, where it was after midnight when the news broke.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Februray 11 marks the 31st anniversary of the Iranian Revolution. Opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who dispute his controversial election victory last year, had reportedly decide to stage protests to coincide with state events.

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Your Comments

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Mike - from Melbourne, 2 years ago

Theocracies - enemies of information. The Next Web offered a few more updates - ban has extended to IM and mobile services - http://bit.ly/aksp94 This is appalling. All those people want is a bit of freedom, and their religious government is slowly choking them to death. People wonder why I can't stand organised religion, and I say 'One word - Iran'.

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