AFP is reporting that Iran launched its own alternative to “inappropriate” YouTube, called Mehr (means “affection), which lets users to upload and view content they create and even watch videos which being produced by the national broadcaster, IRIB. The site’s About Us page states that the website made in order to aim to lure Persian-speaking users and advance on Iranian culture.
Building up such a website is not a surprised as country banned sited like YouTube and Facebook from the time when 2009 election took place in which President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad defeated moderate rival Mir Hossein Mousavi. “From now on, people can upload their short films on the website and access (IRIB) produced material,” said IRIB deputy chief Lotfollah Siahkali. Also, the country is working towards rolling out national intranet that will result in cleaning of un-islamic content.
