Iran Government Fear of the Telegram messaging service

Mohammad Montazeri, Iran’s Attorney General, showed his government’s fear of the Telegram messaging service and said, “Telegram’s voice calls will be blocked at least until the end of election. Telegram’s voice systems have been acknowledged as a security threat by all of Iran’s intelligence and security apparatus and therefore is blocked. We will also observe and act upon that portion of cyberspace that its source is located in abroad. It is obvious that our enemy wants to damage our election’s strength and well-being through cyberspace.” Montazeri said security is at all times our top priority and we will not allow this security to be endangered through some networks.

According to Mohammad Montazeri, the regime’s intelligence, security and law enforcement consider the Telegram voice system as a security threat. He defended the blockade of Telegram’s voice messaging system on the regime’s state television program “Vision 1” on Saturday night. Telegram’s calls were activated in late March but four days later were out of reach. It is said that the judiciary acted upon the request of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Agency and has issued a blocking order.

According to the state-run news agency ISNA, the regime’s Attorney General said on television regarding the subject, “Across the country what is very important to us is security. We are living in a region which had been panicked by fires, wars, bloodshed and crimes. But this country is calm and has valuable security, which hasn’t been easily obtained. The regime and the people had paid heavy price for it.”

Montazeri continued: “When the subject of the Telegram call system arose, we considered and reviewed it but all the intelligence, security and police evidence was that the system is against the security of the country. So, it was decided that the Supreme Council of Cybersecurity would review it, but for whatever reasons they couldn’t ban it.”

Apparently, the Judiciary and IRGC information couldn’t obtain the Supreme Council of Cybersecurity’s agreement to ban Telegram’s voice calls. To reach their goal, they obtained a judiciary order to ban it. The Judiciary announced an order to companies offering internet and cell phone services that Telegram voice calls are a threat to national security and ordered the filtering of this service.

Hossein Nejat, deputy of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Information, revealed at a conference in Mashhad on Thursday, April 20th, that Hassan Rouhani has announced his opposition to the activation of Telegram’s voice calls in a meeting.

Telegram Messenger network has the largest user community in Iran. Paul Dorove, executive director of Telegram Company, has said in his newest announcement that this application has 40 million active users in Iran. They could have communicated using Telegram’s voice with less cost and a higher quality for their recipients.

Source: / ncr-iran /