Iran set to block access to Google

Iran was set to block access to Google and Gmail in reaction to the anti-Islam film that has triggered protests across the Muslim world.

"Google and Gmail will be filtered throughout the country until further notice," said Abdolsamad Khoramabadi, an Iranian official with the state-run body in charge of online censorship and computer crimes, according to the semi-official Ilna news agency. There was no indication as to whether the filtering would be temporary or permanent.

Khoramabadi claimed the decision was taken after Iranians pressed the authorities to filter the sites because of links to the film.

The Young Journalists Club, an Iranian semi-official news agency that broke the news, said the move was in reaction to YouTube's refusal to take down the anti-Islam film, Innocence of Muslims.

Despite a series of regime-sponsored protests in Tehran over the film, many Iranians appear not to be bothered by it.