NationStates Jolt Archive

7th November 2007 17:50 GMT
Yahoo! and Microsoft have removed Iran from the country lists of their webmail services as stronger US sanctions against the Islamic republic begin to bite.

Google has kept Iran as an option on the Gmail registration page, however.

The US administration stepped up economic pressure on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's eccentric government less than two weeks ago.

A Yahoo! spokeswoman told The Reg: "Yahoo! continually reviews its business operations to ensure compliance with these restrictions. Consistent with this policy, we cannot accept registrations from countries subject to these restrictions.

So essentially, you can't choose Iran as a country option because we are restricted from conducting business there – all US companies must comply with this policy." She was unable to tell us exactly when Yahoo! applied the rules.

Microsoft said it was unable to comment on the issue.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/07/yahoo_google_microsft_iran/me thinks US Internet services are more likely to be used by College students.. the least conservative segment of the Iranian population.

And, considering the intent of the US gov. It seems contradictory to make this move.

I think there is a lack of understanding about the user groups involved.

As much as some people want to attack Google, they are the only company I can respect. They don't bend and bow when the government breeze blows and they tell the telecoms to blow it out their ass.

As much as some people want to attack Google, they are the only company I can respect. They don't bend and bow when the government breeze blows and they tell the telecoms to blow it out their ass.

Like what they did in China? It's nice to see Google not complying with such an idiotic regulation, but they're hardly the good guys here; methinks they're only keeping the Iran option so they can get more users.

What stops Iranian users from simply picking Palau, or Serbia, or some other country?

Idiotic.

I have a better question. How many Iranians will this effect? I am not going to claim that I am a expert on Iran but I do know more about it then my average countryman, then again just knowing where it is is knowing more then my average countryman, but anyways, quite frankly I do not know of many groups in Iran that would really care that this happened. The adults are too into the religiousness of the country (I say religiousness because the average Iranian is not fanatical) and the kids just want to be able to have a Western style date to care that Yahoo and Microsoft won't let them say they are from Iran.

Like what they did in China? It's nice to see Google not complying with such an idiotic regulation, but they're hardly the good guys here.Microsoft did what in China ?

Microsoft did what in China ?

Microsoft is a house of cards; it folds at the slightest breeze.

Microsoft did what in China ?

I'm talking about Google, not Microsoft.

I'm talking about Google, not Microsoft.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4088702.stm

I am talking about both of them.

and Yahoo too. (I am not going to give Yahoo a free pass just because they are my favorite services-hub and they give me all these nice free goodies)

me thinks US Internet services are more likely to be used by College students.. the least conservative segment of the Iranian population.

Indeed. It's only going to add yet another little bit of fuel to anti-Americanism in Iran.

Yet another example of how the US government is fiscally responsible and doesn't believe in State involvement in business.

*Sigh*

Why can't we all just get along?