Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp stated on Thursday that it was working to maintain customers in Iran linked after the nation restricted entry to the app and social media platform Instagram.

WhatsApp “will do anything” inside its technical capability to maintain the service accessible and that it was not blocking Iranian cellphone numbers, the messaging service stated in a tweet.

Iran on Wednesday restricted entry to Instagram and WhatsApp, two of the final remaining social networks within the nation, amid protests over the loss of life of a lady in police custody, in line with residents and web watchdog NetBlocks.

Last week’s loss of life of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by morality police in Tehran for “unsuitable attire”, has unleashed anger over points together with freedom within the Islamic Republic and an financial system reeling from sanctions.

Protesters in Tehran and different Iranian cities torched police stations and automobiles earlier on Thursday as public outrage over the loss of life confirmed no indicators of abating, with stories of safety forces coming underneath assault.

On Thursday, the Associated Press reported that the nation had imposed a near-total Internet blackout on Wednesday on the fifth day of protests in opposition to the federal government over Amini’s loss of life, after she was held by the nation’s morality police for allegedly violating its strictly-enforced gown code.

Previously, a authorities official had hinted that safety considerations would possibly immediate measures to limit web entry. As beforehand talked about, Instagram and WhatsApp had been the final main social media networks working in Iran.

The nation at the moment blocks Facebook, Telegram, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp. However, high Iranian officers have entry to public accounts on these platforms, whereas Iranians are in a position to entry these providers utilizing digital non-public networks and proxies, in line with the report.

© Thomson Reuters 2022