Iran set to block certain social networking services

Accordingly, Iran's Prosecutor General Gholam-Hossein Mohseni- Ejei asked Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mahmoud Vaezi to take immediate action to block the massaging services. through the social networks, obscene material and offensive content are spread against the Islamic and moral values, the letter said, adding that some of the contents are managed by foreign "governments hostile to the Islamic Republic of Iran establishment." The prosecutor general warned that if the Iranian Ministry of Communications fails to implement the order within one month, the Judiciary itself will take necessary action. Earlier this month, a survey released by the Iranian Center for Research and Strategic Studies showed that nearly seventy percent of young Iranians, who are using internet, bypass blocked websites using illegal filter pass softwares. Iran's internet monitoring goes beyond simply blocking access to particular websites and services. Some conservative voices have called for the creation of a "Halal Internet" which would allow the contents devoid of offensive Islamic law. Some Iranian officials have actively encouraged adoption of domestic sites for applications like blogging, email and social media. However, many young people have preferred the use of similar services hosted abroad, which are more difficult to police.