REPORT: Court Orders Instagram Blocked In Iran
The AP said the unnamed news agency claimed the court order was given to Iran's Ministry of Telecommunications after a private lawsuit. Instagram did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report from Business Insider. The block reportedly had yet to take effect as of Friday afternoon.
Though some past reports of websites being blocked in Iran have not panned out, both Twitter and Instagram's owner, Facebook, are banned in the country. Iranian citizens sometimes use workarounds to access banned sites.
In spite of these internet prohibitions, Iranian leaders are active on social media sites. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei both maintain presences on Instagram and Twitter.