Nearly 800 Instagram tourism pages face blocking order in Iran
Tehran orders blocks on unlicensed Instagram tourism pages; nearly 800 accounts identified, with no confirmation of how many have been blocked.
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Tehran’s prosecutor has ordered the blocking of unlicensed tourism pages on Instagram, as authorities in Iran say they have identified nearly 800 accounts for judicial review.
The order targets pages that advertise, organize or run tours and other tourism programs without a license, Tehran province’s cultural heritage and tourism department said in a statement.
The department said it identified the accounts through monitoring and sent information and supporting documents to the judiciary for review and legal decisions. Its announcement did not specify how many pages, if any, had already been blocked or how the restrictions would be enforced.
The prosecutor instructed authorities to identify and block unlicensed pages as soon as possible, the department said. It said the order followed efforts by the province’s tourism division and several meetings with judicial officials.
The department described the action as part of efforts to regulate online tourism services, protect travelers’ rights and support licensed travel and tourism agencies.
It said activity outside the legal framework creates unfair competition in the tourism market and puts the rights of consumers and licensed operators at risk.
The province’s tourism division said it would continue pursuing unlicensed tourism activity in cooperation with the judiciary.
