Iran's telecommunications agency announced what it described as a permanent suspension of Google Inc.'s email services, saying instead that a national email service for Iranian citizens would soon be rolled out. It wasn't clear late Wednesday what effect the order had on Google's email services in Iran. Google didn't have an immediate comment about the announcement.It should be remembered that a Revolutionary Guard front company acquired a controlling stake in the Telecommunication Company of Iran back in September in a mysterious, no-bid purchase of 51% of the company's shares. It would undoubtedly monitor and censor any traffic passing through a domestic e-mail service provider.
Google has confirmed "a sharp drop in traffic" coming from Iran, and has also taken steps to ensure that its own networks are not to blame. "Sadly, sometimes it is not within our control,” the company said in a statement. Indeed.
