• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Features

Mr. Zuckerberg goes to Tehran?

By
Ben Geier
Ben Geier
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Ben Geier
Ben Geier
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 27, 2014, 5:02 PM ET

FORTUNE — Pack your bags, Mark Zuckerberg: you’re wanted in Iran.

According to the Iranian Students’ News Agency, or ISNA, an Iranian court has opened a case against WhatsApp and Instagram over privacy violations. Both of those companies are owned by Facebook (FB), the company Zuckerberg famously started in 2004.

Reuters noted that an Iranian official used some interesting language to describe the court’s request.

“According to the court’s ruling, the Zionist director of the company of Facebook, or his official attorney must appear in court to defend himself and pay for possible losses,” Ruhollah Momen-Nasab, an Iranian internet official, reportedly told the semi-official state news agency ISNA.

MORE:Median CEO pay hit record $10 million in 2013

The judge has ordered the Iranian government to block Instagram and WhatsApp, according to the Associated Press. While Instagram remains unblocked in Iran, access to social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are not officially accessible.

Reuters notes that Zuckerberg is unlikely to comply with the request by actually traveling to Iran.

About the Author
By Ben Geier
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Features

FeaturesThe Boring Company
Two firefighters suffered chemical burns in a Boring Co. tunnel. Then the Nevada Governor’s office got involved, and the penalties disappeared
By Jessica Mathews and Leo SchwartzNovember 12, 2025
28 days ago
CoreWeave executives pose in front of the Nasdaq building on the day of the company's IPO.
AIData centers
Data-center operator CoreWeave is a stock-market darling. Bears see its finances as emblematic of an AI infrastructure bubble
By Jeremy Kahn and Leo SchwartzNovember 8, 2025
1 month ago
Libery Energy's hydraulic fracturing, or frac, spreads are increasingly electrified with natural gas power, a technology now translating to powering data centers.
Energy
AI’s insatiable need for power is driving an unexpected boom in oil-fracking company stocks 
By Jordan BlumOctober 23, 2025
2 months ago
Politics
Huge AI data centers are turning local elections into fights over the future of energy
By Sharon GoldmanOctober 22, 2025
2 months ago
A plane carrying Donald Trump Jr. arrives in January in Nuuk, Greenland, where he is making a short private visit after his father, President Trump, suggested Washington annex the autonomous Danish territory.
EnergyGreenland
A Texas company plans to drill for oil in Greenland despite a climate change ban and Trump’s desire to annex the territory
By Jordan BlumOctober 22, 2025
2 months ago
Three of the founders of Multiverse Computing.
AIChange the World
From WhatsApp friends to a $500 million–plus valuation: These founders argue their tiny AI models are better for customers and the planet
By Vivienne WaltOctober 9, 2025
2 months ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
‘Fodder for a recession’: Top economist Mark Zandi warns about so many Americans ‘already living on the financial edge’ in a K-shaped economy 
By Eva RoytburgDecember 9, 2025
19 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Exclusive: U.S. businesses are getting throttled by the drop in tourism from Canada: 'I can count the number of Canadian visitors on one hand'
By Dave SmithDecember 10, 2025
4 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
When David Ellison was 13, his billionaire father Larry bought him a plane. He competed in air shows before leaving it to become a Hollywood executive
By Dave SmithDecember 9, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Banking
Jamie Dimon taps Jeff Bezos, Michael Dell, and Ford CEO Jim Farley to advise JPMorgan's $1.5 trillion national security initiative
By Nino PaoliDecember 9, 2025
20 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Uncategorized
Transforming customer support through intelligent AI operations
By Lauren ChomiukNovember 26, 2025
14 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The 'forever layoffs' era hits a recession trigger as corporates sack 1.1 million workers through November
By Nick Lichtenberg and Eva RoytburgDecember 9, 2025
1 day ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.