Google ceases accounts linked to Iran

Google announced on Thursday it has terminated Youtube channels, blogs and Google+ accounts linked to Iran.

"Our technical research has identified evidence that these actors are associated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)," the company's Senior Vice President of Global Affairs Kent Walker said.

"Technical data associated with the bad actors is strongly linked to the official IRIB IP address space," Google said, adding that "domain ownership information" was also found "strongly linked to IRIB account information."

Google said the activities were "carried out as part of the overall operations of the IRIB organization, since at least January 2017." Thirty-nine Youtube channels, six blogs on Blogger and 13 Google+ accounts linked to Iran were all taken down.

Google's disclosure comes a few days after other key US social media networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, announced that they have uncovered coordinated misinformation campaigns linked to Iran.

US social media networks have been under heavy scrutiny recently as federal regulators are concerned about "media manipulation" by foreign countries ahead of the US midterm elections.

There is growing tension between the United States and Iran after Washington announced on August 6 it would reimpose the economic sanctions against Tehran that were lifted under a 2015 nuclear accord.

The sanctions follow US President Donald Trump's decision in May to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal reached between Tehran and the five UN Security Council members plus Germany.