Iranian Communications and Information Technology Minister Mohammad Javad Azeri Jehromi and some lawmakers demand the removal of social media bans that have caused thousands of people to become unemployed and summoned negative reaction of the broad sections of the society and politicians.

Prohibition of Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and many other social networks, by the Supreme Council of the Virtual World of the country continues to echo.

The Iranian Minister of Communications criticized the prohibitions imposed, saying, It is not a reasonable method to block access to sites. Because it’s a way for people to lose their jobs. Supervision should be applied instead of ban.

The parliamentarians are also in favor of lifting the ban and supporting a proposal in this direction.

Pervane Mafi, a Tehran MP, criticized the bans and said that thousands of people in the country provided their livelihood from these channels and that the censors caused great harm to them.

Explaining that they support the prohibition of obscene broadcasting and disability access to sites, Mafi emphasized that all segments of the society should be taken into consideration and their livelihoods should be considered.

Deputy Fatma Zullkadir, on many websites that are prohibited, said that only online sales were made and there was no possibility of a political mistake in these areas and that a significant number of people were victims of censorship.

With 55 percent of internet users in the country, Telegram is the most used with 23 percent, then Twitter and Instagram.

Twitter, although prohibited by the Iranian religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Hassan Rouhani, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif is actively use it. In addition, the country’s media recently published reports criticizing the closure of some Iranian official institutions on Youtube and Facebook.

The demonstrations that started in Mashhad, Iran on 28 December last year protesting the cost of living, unemployment, corruption in the country, had soon turned into anti-regime demonstrations throughout the country.

The demonstrators organized their actions through foreign mobile applications, especially Telegram. Telegram was used by nearly 40 million people in the country with a population of 80 million.

After the prohibitions of social media, approximately 15 thousand people are reported to be unemployed.