Voice of America
24 Sep 2022, 00:35 GMT+10
The U.S. Treasury Department said Friday that it was updating guidance to U.S. tech firms to expand the range of internet services available to Iranians, countering a move by Iran's government this week to block internet access to its citizens.
On Wednesday, as street protests continued in Iran, the Iranian government cut off internet access for most of its 83 million citizens, the Treasury Department said, to prevent the world from watching its violent crackdown on peaceful protesters.
People took to the streets this week to demonstrate following the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, who died after being taken into custody by the morality police for improperly wearing her headscarf. Iran security forces have responded by violently cracking down on the protests, leading to at least nine deaths so far. According to The Associated Press, Iranian state TV suggested the death toll could be as high as 26.
In a statement, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said the changes issued Friday through the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) will call on U.S.-based tech companies to provide more digital services to people in Iran - from access to cloud computing services to better tools - to enhance their online security and privacy.
Adeyemo said, "With these changes, we are helping the Iranian people be better equipped to counter the government's efforts to surveil and censor them. In the coming weeks, OFAC will continue issuing guidance to support the administration's commitment to promoting the free flow of information, which the Iranian regime has consistently denied to its people."
In his own statement Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the steps taken by the Treasury Department would help ensure "the Iranian people are not kept isolated and in the dark."
"This is a concrete step to provide meaningful support to Iranians demanding that their basic rights be respected," he said.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Get a daily dose of Pakistan Telegraph news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Pakistan Telegraph.
More InformationCONCORD, New Hampshire: A federal judge in New Hampshire issued a crucial ruling on July 10 against President Donald Trump's executive...
DUBAI, U.A.E.: A cargo ship flagged under Liberia, known as the Eternity C, sank in the Red Sea following an attack executed by Yemen's...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Trump administration has started sending some weapons to Ukraine again, just a week after the Pentagon told officials...
ECAULT BEACH, France: On clear days, the white cliffs of the United Kingdom, are visible from northern France, where men, women, and...
ATLANTA, Georgia: The United States is facing its worst measles outbreak in more than three decades, with 1,288 confirmed cases so...
In the past month alone, 23 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza—three more than the number of remaining living hostages held...
BATTLE CREEK, Michigan: In a major consolidation of iconic food brands, WK Kellogg has agreed to be acquired by the owner of Ferrero...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Filmmaker Peter Jackson's lifelong fascination with the extinct giant New Zealand flightless bird called the moa...
NEW DELHI, India: India has submitted a revised proposal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva to implement retaliatory tariffs...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Nvidia, the Silicon Valley chipmaker at the heart of the artificial intelligence boom, this week briefly...
REDMOND, Washington: Artificial intelligence is transforming Microsoft's bottom line. The company saved over US$500 million last year...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A federal rule designed to make it easier for Americans to cancel subscriptions has been blocked by a U.S. appeals...