Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 18
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Public access to social media should be facilitated, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani said.
Rouhani made the remarks during the meeting of the country's Supreme Council of Cyberspace, the official website of the president reported Oct. 18.
Facilitating public access to cyberspace facilities and social media is vital, Rouhani said, adding at the same time its damages and possible abuses should be dealt with.
It should be noted that Iranian conservatives consider the social media as part of "enemies' soft war" to change Iranians' lifestyle and beliefs. Several of world's most popular networks, such as Twitter and Facebook are banned in Iran while users are still able to access them via proxies. A survey by Iranian Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports indicates that 69.3 percent of the country's young generation use proxy servers to by-pass the filters and access banned Internet websites.
Rouhani further underlined remarkable share of big communication companies in the international economy and the role of information platforms in developing scientific and research activities.
"Optimal use of opportunities for communication, in addition to economical profits, will pave path to balanced access to information and electronic services, reducing corruption and expenses in the civil service," he noted.
Rouhani further underscored necessity of initiating methods as well as optimal and smart standards in using the cultural and economic aspects of cyberspace safely.
Follow the author on Twitter: @UmidNiayesh