Iran Cuts Access To Facebook

Ahead of next month's elections, Iran has blocked access to Facebook to stop supporters of reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi using the site for campaigning.

Campaigning for elections using Facebook? Well, why not? But it’s not going to happen in Iran, according to news agency Ilna. There, the authorities have cut access to Facebook for citizens ahead of next month’s elections in order to stop Mir Hossein Mousavi, a reformist candidate, from using the site to help his campaign.

According to Ilna:

"Access to the Facebook site was prohibited several days ahead of the presidential elections," and "according to certain Internet surfers, the site was banned because supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi were using Facebook to better disseminate the candidate’s positions."

Mousavi is a former Iranian prime minister, and is viewed as a leading challenger to current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Facebook said it was disappointed by the block "at a time when voters are turning to the Internet as a source of information about election candidates and their positions."

The elections will be held June 12.