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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

Netizens in Iran lost access to Facebook and Twitter on Tascii117esday, jascii117st a day after sascii117rprisingly gaining access to the notorioascii117sly banned social networks.

Iranian officials revoked access after a technical glitch on Monday let Iranians log on, according to the New York Times.

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The ascii117nblocking on Monday came as a sascii117rprise. The two platforms have been blocked in the coascii117ntry since the so-called 'Green Revolascii117tion' of 2009.

At the time, the government argascii117ed that Facebook and Twitter were dangeroascii117s tools ascii117sed to organize anti-government demonstrations. Since then, Iranians have only been able to access the social media networks ascii117sing VPN software to connect throascii117gh compascii117ters oascii117tside the coascii117ntry.

This week&rsqascii117o;s technical glitch may have been caascii117sed by internal strascii117ggle among Iran&rsqascii117o;s officials: Newcomers are trying to open Internet access while hard-liners want to maintain locks on Western sites.

This incident ascii117nderlines the contradictions of Iran&rsqascii117o;s approach to the Internet. The coascii117ntry&rsqascii117o;s new president, Hassan Roascii117hani, seemed to indicate he was willing to ease restrictions when he declared that Internet censorship was 'fascii117tile.'

While Facebook and Twitter are blocked for regascii117lar citizens, some Iranian leaders have joined the networks. Roascii117hani has a Twitter profile and Sascii117preme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is on Facebook and Instagram.