Iranian Officials’ Phobia of Grouponing
The Internet has become the Iranian government’s worst nightmare, whether it used to organize a gathering (click here to read more about the Iranian teenagers who were arrested for participating in a water gun fight), post one’s thoughts on a blog or another form of social media, or simply to try to save some money.
Group couponing websites such as Groupon, Living Social and Buy with Me are American sensations whose popularity has spread abroad. These websites offer various services for a limited time at discounted group prices. Three Tehran-based websites, Takhfifan, Netbarg and Iroopon, are pioneers in this field in Iran. But the government’s propaganda TV news program “20:30” aired a report that accused the websites of being a scam and asked officials to shut them down.
