Iranians Blocked from Nvidia Downloads

EghtesadOnline: US-based Nvidia continues to block Iranian Internet users from accessing parts of its website, according to one source in Tehran.

News ID: ۷۷۸۸۴۰

28 August 2017

Financial Tribune can confirm that the software download page of Nvidia.com does not allow Iranian IP addresses to access updated software. The site now says "403 – Forbidden."

Prior to 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran the six world powers, several software companies in the US and Europe blocked Iranians from accessing downloads. However, since then several companies quietly removed restrictions on Iranian Internet users.

Nvidia's other website geforce.com is also blocked to Iranian web users. That website says "access denied" followed by a message saying "the request was blocked by the security rules."

According to a message by one eagle-eyed technologist, who wished not to be named, Nvidia and Geforce were available to Iranian users earlier this month.

The user contacted the company's online help service to ask why Iranians have been suddenly banned from using their software.

Nvidia responded, "We regret to inform you that Geforce NOW and Geforce Experience is not available in embargoed nations."

However, in a move which undermines consumer trust in the brand, the online representative, based in India, claimed that Iranians had never been allowed access to the site even after the nuclear deal two years ago.

The local tech expert told the Tribune, "This is obviously not true. Only two weeks ago I was using their service in Tehran without the use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN)."

>Local Representation Unaware

Nvidia has a representative in Iran through a company called Avajang ICT Group. Financial Tribune contacted the company to find what was going on.

The company said it had urged Iranians to access websites inside Iran like p30download to get the drivers they wish, "the same way we have done for over a decade."

>US Anti-Iran Stance

Nvidia's unacceptable stance comes just days after Apple began removing Iranian applications from its iOS application store.

Since that date, more than 20 popular Persian language applications, from ride-hailing to banking have been removed from the iOS store.

In response to Apple's move to cull Iranian developed applications from its service, Iran's Telecoms Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi said he would pursue the matter through legal measures.

“Under the US sanctions regulations, the App Store cannot host, distribute or do business with apps or developers connected to certain US embargoed countries,” Apple said in a message to defend its visibly unprofessional move.

Jahromi says Apple should respect its Iranian consumers who are estimated upwards of 7 million.

“Eleven percent of Iran’s mobile phone market share belongs to Apple. Upholding consumer rights is a principle Apple has respected in the breach,” Jahromi tweeted on Friday.

“We will legally follow up the removing of the apps,” he said without elaboration.