This is to ask Facebook not to filter users from Iran and other embargoed countries.Weeks after Iran removed Facebook from its lengthy list of banned websites, and while Iranians had just begun to enjoy their cyber-freedom, the harsh words of "You Are Not Authorized" might be returning to their digital life; this time not from the Islamic Republic officials, but from Facebook officials!
The new Facebook governance document includes a rule which bans some countries including Iran from using facebook:
"4.3 You will not use Facebook if you are located in a country embargoed by the U.S., or are on the U.S. Treasury Department’s list of Specially Designated Nationals."
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=183538190300
So in case Facebook is intending to ban Iran based users, this is what we have to say:
The sanctions and embargoes imposed on Iran are meant to target the government; not the people. Facebook is targeting people.
This is against what social networking stands for. This is against what civil society stands for. This is against what freedom of speech stands for. This is against what human rights stands for.
This is against what Facebook stands for.
We ask Facebook not to politicize its mission.
We ask Facebook to stand for what it is created for.
We ask Facebook to let Iranian people interact with the world.
We need to keep the civil society going in Iran. We need to have a voice.
Do not punish us for no crime;
Facebook, Please Do Not Cut Us Off
