The service was banned two years ago after it had been used to call protests.
Iran’s Supreme Council for Internet Control decided on Tuesday to allow the use of the Whatsapp messaging service again.
The service was banned in the country last year after it was used to gather people for demonstrations by a young Kurdish woman Mahsa Aminin to die at the hands of the chastity police.
The decision to allow the use of Whatsapp and Google Play was again made unanimously in the council, the country’s official news agency IRNA reported. It is not yet known when the change will take effect.
Instead, the decision has raised concerns in the country’s parliament. Almost half of the country’s 290 parliamentarians have signed a letter sent to the council, saying the decision is a gift to Iran’s enemies. According to them, the use of banned online platforms should only be allowed if they commit to the values of Islamic society and follow the laws of the country.
Over the years, Iranians have become accustomed to using, for example, VPN services to circumvent internet restrictions.
The loosening of Internet restrictions was one of the Iranian president’s by Masud Pezeshkian campaign promises.