Iran could allow Internet giants such as Google to operate in the Islamic republic if they respect its “cultural” rules, Fars news agency said Sunday quoting a senior official.
“We are not opposed to any of the entities operating in global markets who
want to offer services in Iran,” Deputy Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Nasrollah Jahangard told Fars.
“We are ready to negotiate with them and if they accept our cultural rules
and policies they can offer their services in Iran,” he said.
Jahangard said Iran is “also ready to provide Google or any other company
with facilities” that could enable them to provide their services to the region.
Forty million people out of a population of around 78 million use the
Internet in Iran.
Authorities have regularly blocked access to networks including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter since protests against the disputed 2009 re-election of
hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Telecommunications Minister Mahmoud Vaez said in November that Iran would
have “smart filtering” within six months to weed out Internet content
authorities deem offensive or criminal.
Internet censorship is a bone of contention between conservative hardliners
and government members, including moderate President Hassan Rouhani who use
social networks.
Jahangard told Fars that sanctions imposed by the international community
on Iran over its nuclear programme could “create problems for American
companies.”
“They are waiting for the international legal conditions to be cleared
before they can operate conveniently (in Iran) but other companies outside the
US have come forward and started negotiations,” he said.
He did not name any of these companies but said that “some have accepted
the conditions” laid out by Iran adding that “technical preparations are
underway for them to enter the Iranian market.”
Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany are trying to
strike an accord with Iran that would prevent it from developing a nuclear bomb
in return for lifting international sanctions.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is purely civilians.
A March 31 deadline for a political framework for the deal is looming. (AFP)
