Iranian officials and organizations are denying press reports that many Internet cafes in Tehran have been shut down, the Tehran Times reported Wednesday.
According to the paper, a law enforcement official shrugged off reports of a wholesale closure, saying only that "we closed 15 cybercafes in three areas of Tehran.”
A police official was quoted by the daily as saying that “the owners need to obtain a license from the Trade Union for Computer and Business-Machine Operators."
However, five cafes were authorized to reopen after receiving approval from the union, he said, while another 250 were warned they would need an operating permit as well as an Internet license.
An official at the Ministry of Post, Telephone and Telegraph said that the recent closure of several Internet cafes in Tehran was aimed at controlling materials which did not comply with Islamic standards – Albawaba.com
