Following the closure of hundreds of accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube that had 'hidden their connection to Iran's state television', the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) condemned this action, referring to it as 'blocking independent media' and a 'political and media disgrace'. Last Tuesday, Facebook and Twitter announced the closure of hundreds of pages and accounts related to Iran; two days later, Google announced that it had blocked nearly sixty accounts on YouTube, Blogger, and Google+. These international companies cited 'misleading actions' and their connection to a wave of 'fake news and information' as the reasons for the account closures. According to Google, the mentioned accounts had hidden their connection to Iran's state television. The IRIB's 'Overseas Broadcasting' department, in a statement released on Saturday, September 3, described the actions of these companies as 'a clear example of censorship' and 'suppressing the voices of independent media', stating that the slogan of freedom of expression is 'merely a decoration for the tyrants of the world'. The statement referred to the networks 'Press TV', 'Hispan TV', 'Al-Alam', 'Sahar', and 'Al-Kawthar' as 'independent media' and attributed the closure of these networks' accounts in cyberspace to 'the dissemination of realities that the U.S. government and its allies are not interested in publishing'. According to Facebook and Twitter, the blocked accounts mainly contained anti-Israeli and anti-Saudi content and supported Palestinians as well as the nuclear agreement. Nevertheless, the IRIB's Overseas Broadcasting department stated that these pressures 'indicate the significant impact of independent media' and that 'the overseas media of the Islamic Republic of Iran' will continue on this path. The closure of hundreds of accounts related to Iran occurred after the publication of a report by the cybersecurity company 'FireEye'. Last week, John Bolton, the U.S. National Security Advisor, stated that Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea are four countries attempting to influence U.S. elections, an accusation that Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, denied.
Iran's State Television Protests Against 'Blocking Independent Media' and 'Censorship'
Iran's state television condemned the recent closure of hundreds of its affiliated social media accounts by major platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Google, labeling it as censorship and a political disgrace. The companies justified the closures by citing misleading content and connections to fake news. This incident highlights ongoing tensions between Iran and Western social media platforms regarding information control.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Major social media platforms closed hundreds of accounts linked to Iran's state television, citing misleading content and fake news. IRIB condemned these actions as censorship and a political disgrace.
- Accounts were closed due to their hidden connections to IRIB and alleged dissemination of fake news.
- The closures followed a report by cybersecurity firm FireEye and coincide with U.S. concerns about election interference.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran has been accused of using media to influence international opinion and politics, often clashing with Western narratives.
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 90%