Google has targeted Iranian broadcasters Press TV and Hispan TV once again, blocking access to their official YouTube accounts without any prior notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the past years, the US tech giant has recurrently been opting for such measures against Iranian media outlets. It has taken on Press TV more than any other Iranian outlet given the expanse of its viewership and readership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most recent move came on Tuesday. Users shortly flooded both the networks with messages asking why the international networks’ YouTube channels had been put out of service, Presstv Reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two networks were last targeted in April, when Google similarly shut their YouTube and Gmail accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The previous attack also denied the networks any advance notification, sufficing to cite a nebulous \u201cviolation of policies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Previously, Press TV\u2019s YouTube channel was closed in September and November 2013 and April 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting \u2014 which runs Press TV and Hispan TV as part of its World Service \u2014 has called such attacks clear examples of censorship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Paying price for giving voice to the voiceless\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Reacting to Tuesday\u2019s move, Press TV\u2019s Website and Social Media Director Habib Abdolhossein said, \u201cWe have been adhering to Google policies, including those concerning user content and conduct policy. Even if we had violated any rules, they could have let us know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSocial media outlets were supposed to be a platform for the alternative views, but unfortunately they are rather politicized than socialized!\u201d he said. \u201cI think we are paying the price for being the voice of the voiceless.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Following Donald Trump\u2019s inauguration as US president in 2016, Washington ramped up its efforts to target the Islamic Republic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The campaign even assumed the self-styled title of \u201cmaximum pressure\u201d under the current US president. The drive has seen the US leaving a multi-party nuclear agreement with Iran last year, and returning the nuclear-related sanctions that the deal had lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As part of the campaign, the US State Department has called on social media companies Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to block the accounts of Iranian government leaders, and iOS \u2014 a mobile operating system created by US company Apple Inc. \u2014 disabling Iranian applications.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Google has targeted Iranian broadcasters Press TV and Hispan TV once again, blocking access to their official YouTube accounts without<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2784,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-news"],"yoast_head":"\n