Iran’s government says it has lifted a ban on access to WhatsApp and Google Play after more than two years. That's according to the official IRNA news agency.

Iranian authorities have lifted a ban on Meta's instant messaging platform WhatsApp and Google Play as a first step to scale back internet restrictions, Iranian state media reported on Tuesday.

The move has sparked a debate in Iran, with critics of the restrictions arguing the controls were costly for the country

Iran has lifted restrictions on the Google Play app store and WhatsApp, state news agency IRNA reported on Tuesday. The agency said that the applications have been reactivated by the authorities, with more apps expected to follow soon.

The Supreme Cyberspace Council, which is tasked with safeguarding the internet for Iranian citizens, voted unanimously to lift restrictions on a number of foreign-owned applications during a meeting today, according to a report by the state news agency IRNA.

Iran has officially lifted the ban on WhatsApp and the Google Play Store, signaling a significant shift in its internet policy. This move, part of President Masoud Pezeshkian's commitment to easing internet restrictions,

Iran is known for having some of the strictest internet rules across the world. Further, the Iranian authorities have blocked access to US-based social media applications such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Iran said it will start easing some of the world’s tightest internet restrictions by lifting its ban on WhatsApp and Google Play — a sign that authorities want to placate domestic opponents as the Islamic Republic faces major economic and foreign-policy challenges.

The ban on WhatsApp and Google Play was introduced in 2022 amid nationwide protests over the death of a woman detained by the morality police for allegedly violating strict dress codes.

Decision reached during meeting of Iran's Supreme Council of Cyberspace, reports state-run news agency IRNA - Anadolu Ajansı

In September the United States called on Big Tech to help evade online censorship in countries that heavily censor the internet, including Iran.