The Wall Street Journal has just broken a story that I have been pointing everyone's attention to for almost six months ago: the Iranian government is, indeed, using social media to intimidate its opponents, particularly abroad. Well, a six-month lag time isn't that bad:
Dozens of individuals in the U.S. and Europe who criticized Iran on Facebook or Twitter said their relatives back in Iran were questioned or temporarily detained because of their postings. About three dozen individuals interviewed said that, when traveling this summer back to Iran, they were questioned about whether they hold a foreign passport, whether they possess Facebook accounts and why they were visiting Iran. The questioning, they said, took place at passport control upon their arrival at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport.
Five interviewees who traveled to Iran in recent months said they were forced by police at Tehran's airport to log in to their Facebook accounts. Several reported having their passports confiscated because of harsh criticism they had posted online about the way the Iranian government had handled its controversial elections earlier this year.
Read More
(2)
HIDE COMMENTS LOGIN OR REGISTER REPORT ABUSE