Iran lifts ban on WhatsApp and Google Play, state media says

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 Islamic Republic has some of the strictest controls on Internet access in the world, but its blocks on US-based social media such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are routinely bypassed by tech-savvy Iranians using virtual private networks.

“A positive majority vote has been reached to...