Iran restricts access to Google services

Tehran Internet users in Iran no longer have access to Google's popular online email service, Gmail, it has been reported. The French news agency AFP says that the move came on Monday amid first steps by the Islamic republic to establish a walled-off national intranet separate from the worldwide internet. Iran restricts access to Google services Access to Google’s search page (www.google.com) was also restricted to its unsecured version, web users in Iran found. Attempts to access it using a secure protocol (https://www.google.com) were also blocked. “Due to the repeated demands of the people, Google and Gmail will be filtered nationwide. They will remain filtered until further notice,” Abdul Samad Khoramabadi, an adviser to Iran’s public prosecutor’s office and the secretary of an official group tasked with detecting Internet content deemed illegal, said in a message sent to mobile phones. The agency said that although Google's own website tracking country-by-country access to its services "did not immediately reflect the blocks" - several residents in Tehran told AFP they were unable to get into their Gmail accounts unless they used VPN software. The BBC explained in its report that Google Search was accessible, "but is not functioning properly", and that Google services which need a secure SSL connection were "out of reach in Iran": "Any attempt to get access to those services leads the user to a never-ending waiting phase, where nothing comes up." Iranian authorities previously and temporarily cut access to Google and Gmail in February, ahead of March parliamentary elections. Tanjug AFP, BBC

Iran restricts access to Google services

Access to Google’s search page (www.google.com) was also restricted to its unsecured version, web users in Iran found. Attempts to access it using a secure protocol (https://www.google.com) were also blocked.

“Due to the repeated demands of the people, Google and Gmail will be filtered nationwide. They will remain filtered until further notice,” Abdul Samad Khoramabadi, an adviser to Iran’s public prosecutor’s office and the secretary of an official group tasked with detecting Internet content deemed illegal, said in a message sent to mobile phones.

The agency said that although Google's own website tracking country-by-country access to its services "did not immediately reflect the blocks" - several residents in Tehran told AFP they were unable to get into their Gmail accounts unless they used VPN software.

The BBC explained in its report that Google Search was accessible, "but is not functioning properly", and that Google services which need a secure SSL connection were "out of reach in Iran":

"Any attempt to get access to those services leads the user to a never-ending waiting phase, where nothing comes up."

Iranian authorities previously and temporarily cut access to Google and Gmail in February, ahead of March parliamentary elections.