Iran bans membership of foreign networking sites

Wednesday, 23 November 2011

The Iranian government has declared that foreign social networking sites are 'potentially fertile soil for criminality and espionage'. Anyone found to be a member of such a site will in future be liable to prosecution.

Shahrzad News) - According to the Borna news agency, the deputy commander of the police cyber department Colonel Sayed Mohsen Mir Behrisi says the country's young people are particularly vulnerable to 'falling into foreigners' traps and laying themselves open to abuse by social networking sites'. He added:

"Most of these sites allow exchanges of information that can later be manipulated for criminal purposes. We shall take action against those who use cyberspace to provoke malice and criminality amongst their fellow citizens."

Asked about national social networks Mir Behrisi replied: "as long as users respect the rules there should be no problem."