Iran's reformist government has lifted bans on WhatsApp and Google Play, signaling efforts to reduce internet restrictions despite hardliner opposition.

Iran has lifted the ban on Meta's messaging platform WhatsApp and Google Play, a first step to scale back internet restrictions, Reuters quoted the Iranian state media on Tuesday. Tehran has some of the strictest internet controls in the world.

Many people reached by The Associated Press across the capital, Tehran, and other cities said they had access to the services on computers but not yet on mobile phones. WhatsApp has been the third most popular messaging platform in Iran after Instagram and Telegram.

The move has sparked a debate in Iran, with critics of the restrictions arguing the controls were costly for the country

Iran has lifted restrictions on the Google Play app store and WhatsApp, state news agency IRNA reported on Tuesday. The agency said that the applications have been reactivated by the authorities, with more apps expected to follow soon.

The Supreme Cyberspace Council, which is tasked with safeguarding the internet for Iranian citizens, voted unanimously to lift restrictions on a number of foreign-owned applications during a meeting today,