Iran’s Cabinet Joins Facebook

Don’t ignore those friend requests from key Iranian government officials: they might be real. Nearly every member of Iran’s Cabinet opened up Facebook pages on Monday—despite the fact that the social network is banned in the country. Fifteen ministers—all but one—opened Facebook pages on Monday, just weeks after the election of centrist President Hassan Rouhani. Is this a sign of more openness by the famously cut-off Islamic Republic? Newspapers hinted on Monday that could be the case, and that this could be the beginning of new age in Iran with some Internet restrictions lifted.