January 25, 2005 — (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — According to a report by the Register, Texas-based Web hosting provider The Planet Internet Services (theplanet.com) has pulled down the Web site of the Iranian Student’s News Agency.
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The Planet reportedly notified the ISNA of its intentions by email, giving it 48 hours to take its site down and find a new hosting provider. No reason for the demand was given and the decision was said to be final and non-negotiable.
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The ISNA made several calls to The Planet, but reportedly were not given a clear explanation as to why the site was taken down. Calls to The Planet by the Register did not shed any further light on the matter.
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The controversial move by The Planet, the Register reported, has sparked a written inquiry by news agency Reporters Without Borders, an organization committed to press freedom. The news agency said the role of Web hosting companies outside Iran is extremely important, given the relatively heavy government censorship of Internet use in the country.
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According to the Register, the site has found a new Web host and is online at www.isna.ir.
