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Iran seemingly lifts restrictions on Facebook and Twitter access

It hasn't been outrightly confirmed by the government of Iran, but at least some within the nation's borders are now able to access both Twitter and Facebook. For those keeping score, public access to the networks has been banned since 2009, shortly after the reelection of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Iran's new president, Hassan Rouhani, seems fairly convinced that Iran itself should not be restricting its citizens to information available via social channels, and a number of trusted accounts -- including Rouhani himself along with The New York Times' Thomas Erdbrink -- have tweeted in recent hours without the use of a proxy. It's unclear whether the lift is intentional, or if it's scheduled to remain permanently, but we're obviously hoping it's a sign of meaningful change.