The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman made a comparison between Iran’s mass social media blackout and Donald Trump blocking certain users on his Twitter page Tuesday.
Haberman tweeted:
The president often blocks individual people from seeing the @realDonaldTrump Twitter feed https://t.co/cVoLLlXrGR
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 2, 2018
In response to protests in Iran over the last few days, the government has been restricting its citizens’ use of social media programs Instagram and Telegram. The Islamic government has said that this is due to violence and rioting that has accompanied some protests.
Iranian citizens have been protesting the government over the last week for a variety of reasons, including a stagnant economy, oppressive laws and financing of terror in the Middle East. (RELATED: At Least 20 Dead As Iran Uprising Stretches Into Sixth Day)
President Trump tweeted Tuesday:
The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their “pockets.” The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018