Zuckerberg summoned to Iranian court over privacy complaints

A judge in Iran has ordered Mark Zuckerberg to appear in court to answer complaints by individuals who say Facebook-owned applications Instagram and Whatsapp violate their privacy.

Ruhollah Momen Nasab, an official with the paramilitary Basij force, said the judge also ordered the blocking of the two apps, The Telegraph reported, citing the news agency ISNA.

It is highly unlikely that Zuckerberg would appear in an Iranian court, since there is no extradition treaty between Iran and the United States. Some Iranian courts have in recent years issued similar rulings that could not be executed.

Another Iranian court last week had ordered for Instagram to be blocked over privacy concerns.

However, users in capital Tehran could still access both applications around noon on Tuesday. In Iran, websites and internet apps have sometimes been reported blocked but remained operational.

Facebook is already banned in the country, along with other social websites like Twitter and YouTube. However, some senior leaders like Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif are active on Twitter.