Wired is reporting (via WSJ) a plan by the Iranian government to block access to GMail. The service will be replaced by a government-run email site. This coming less than a month after GMail’s switch to the HTTPS connection standard, which encrypts all messages and makes it harder for spies (governmental or otherwise) to snoop on users’ accounts.
An Iranian official said the move was meant to boost local development of Internet technology and to build trust between people and the government.
Recent Iranian history has demonstrated the power of the internet in aiding democracy in theocratic Iran. This attempt is one of many that make it harder – but not impossible – to subvert the government censors.
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