Iranian ministers open pages on banned Facebook
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s entire Cabinet has opened Facebook pages in what is seen as a move toward greater openness — even though the social media site is blocked in the Islamic Republic.
The Facebook pages of 15 ministers could be viewed in Tehran through a proxy server. Newspapers yesterday hinted the move might herald the lifting of some internet barriers.
All but one minister signed up this August after the inauguration of centrist- and reformist-backed President Hasan Rouhani, who has also opened a page.
Hard-liners see the internet as a possible corrupting force, but many Iranians use proxies to access banned sites.
“It seems the ‘key'” — Rouhani’s electoral symbol in his presidential campaign — “may turn the lock of (internet) filtering,””the pro-reform Shargh daily said.
