The blockage of WhatsApp and Google Play was lifted on December 24, 2024, "as a first step to scale back internet restrictions," Al Jazeera reported. The ban was enforced more than 2 years ago, during Iran's mass protests over the death of Mahsa Jhina Amini at the hands of the country’s morality police.
Now, while the government has lifted a ban on such crucial applications, the use of the best VPN services and similar tools remains high. That's why experts – and citizens – are far from calling the U-turn the beginning of a better internet for the country.
