TEHRAN -- The Supreme Cyberspace Council is against cyberspace blocking and supports the development of cyberspace in the country, secretary of the council Abolhassan Firouzabadi said on Saturday.

However it does not mean that Iran obeys foreign technological companies, he added, Mehr reported.

“Just like the system and platform imported from Western countries, our mindset about cyberspace is described by the West as well,” he said.

The issue makes some problems for Iran’s cyberspace government since the government cannot guarantee the jobs created based on these platforms, he lamented.

He pointed to the blocking of Iranian application on iOS systems last week, which makes a problem for digital marketing in the country.

Iranian users of iOS systems do not have access to some of their applications which they have installed from other sources than App Store from February 27. Apple Inc. has blocked enterprise programs due to its rule for app distribution policy and the Apple users have access to apps through App Store, which is not applicable for Iranian developer during past years due to U.S. sanctions.

He said that the digital economy is formed beyond governments and it may lead to some problems for marketing based on that.

The clean cyberspace does not limit to content but Linked Data Platform (LDP) and architecture of cyberspace, he said, adding that the cyberspace provides an opportunity to create contents promoting values and norms at the national level.

“The cyberspace is a chance for different social and religious groups to meet and know more about each other.”

The public produces content for the cyberspace but what is the role of government, he asked.

“We should have players in cyberspace. National players are aware of foreign platforms,” he said.

The council aims to create national systems for cyberspace like Iran’s National Information Network and video games as well as Iranian messaging apps, he concluded.

In April 2018, the National Center for Cyberspace, an organization established by the Supreme Cyberspace Council, introduced five messaging applications have been approved by Soroush, Gap, iGap, BisPhone Plus, and Wispi as alternatives for Telegram.

Telegram, with 40 million subscribers in Iran, was on the top list of messaging applications in the country. Hundreds of people and companies in Iran used the app for their marketing and sales.

Domestic messaging applications eye officials for further support to help them to convince subscribers to move to another application.

SB/MQ/MG