TEHRAN

Social media filtering has become a hot topic in Iran's upcoming presidential election, with candidates taking to virtual platforms to woo voters amid pandemic restrictions.

Many social media applications, including Facebook and Twitter, remain blocked in Iran since 2009.

The issue has been a major sticking point between conservatives and reformists in the country, with the latter in favor of removing the ban.

However, with the poll campaign moving online amid COVID-19 curbs on physical gatherings, conservatives seem to have softened their stand on social media filtering.

Top conservative candidate Saeed Jalili created a stir on social media a few days ago when he termed Twitter filtering as "not justified".

The former nuclear negotiator pledged to issue "a series of rulings", including the removal of Twitter filter, on Day 1 of his government, if elected to power.

"In my opinion, cyberspace is one of the best opportunities for today's generation," Jalili told state radio. "Thirty or 40 years ago, this opportunity did not exist."

Jalili has been active on Twitter and other social media since the campaign began two weeks ago, pitching his plans and engaging in heated debates with fellow candidates.

- Big surprise

What, however, came as a big surprise to netizens was top conservative contender and judiciary chief Ebrahim Raeisi's entry on Twitter Tuesday.

In a series of tweets, Raeisi, who has emerged as the frontrunner for the June 18 vote in various polls, said the fight against "poverty, corruption, and discrimination" were on top of his agenda.

In his television and radio programs, Raeisi spoke about his plans for internet and cyberspace, which he said has "affected all layers of our lives".

He even pledged free internet to people from the lower strata of society.

Raeisi's grand entry on Twitter caught the attention of reformist candidate and top banker AbdolNaser Hemmati, who urged him, as the top judicial authority, to issue an order removing the filter of Twitter.

There was no response from Raeisi, but one of his campaign managers took a swipe at Hemmati, which has emerged as a main challenger to heavyweight conservatives.

- Interesting developments

These new and interesting developments in Iran's cyber sphere elicited the interest of Information Technology Minister Azeri Jahromi, who has for long called for the removal of social media filters.

"It is a good thing that some people who used to criticize social media platforms and presence in virtual networks are today using this space," he told reporters on Wednesday.

The youngest member of President Hassan Rouhani’s reformist government, Jahromi was in January summoned by the country’s top prosecutor and later released on bail.

He faced an indictment over the ministry’s failure to comply with an order by Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace to filter Instagram, block virtual private networks (VPNs) and promote locally developed messengers.

Importantly, Iran’s parliament had last year proposed tougher restrictions on the use of social media in the country and establishing a commission to oversee violations.

Twitter and Facebook were blocked in Iran in 2009 amid large-scale protests over the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the country's president.

Telegram, a hugely popular messaging application among Iranians, was blocked by the country's judiciary in 2018.