The US Treasury Department on Friday issued a license authorizing American firms to provide additional internet services in Iran without risking sanctions, a move aimed at countering government censorship of protests over the death of a young Iranian woman in custody. 

Biden administration officials said the updated sanctions guidance will help Iranians confront the government’s internet restrictions and surveillance through modern communication tools, including video conferencing, e-gaming, social media platforms and cloud-based services that deliver virtual private networks (VPNs).

“The expanded authorization will allow US companies to provide tools to ordinary Iranians and assist in their efforts to resist repressive internet censorship and surveillance tools deployed by the Iranian government,” a senior Treasury Department official briefing reporters said. 

Protests erupted over the weekend following the death last Friday of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was detained three days earlier by Iran’s morality police for allegedly wearing a hijab improperly.