Fear of Anti-government Rallies, Iran "permanently suspends" Gmail

Posted 02/10/2010 at 4:17pm | by Jason Barry

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The telecommunications agency of Iran announced on Wednesday that they have “permanently suspended” the use of Gmail. Iranians can expect a national email service (ironically) to be released soon regarding the ban.

The announcement comes, along with other reported incidents of authorities disrupting or confiscating various forms of telecommunications, including satellite dishes and cell phones. It is thought that these events might be sparked by this week’s anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, during which it is speculated the streets will fill with anti-government protestors. The U.S. State Department criticized the Iranian government for denying its people “access to information, the ability to express themselves freely, network and share ideas.”

While Google has not directly commented on the order to suspend their email service in Iran, in a recent statement Google says, “we strongly believe that people everywhere should have the ability to communicate freely online. Sadly, sometimes it is not within our control.”