Baku, Azerbaijan, April 26
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iran has cancelled a former permission for Telegram to use content delivery networks (CDNs) in the country.
Telecommunication Infrastructure Company, the sole provider of telecommunication infrastructure to all private and public operators in the Islamic Republic, said in a statement on April 26 that has received a directive to shut down the servers of the messaging app in Iran.
According to the decree issued by Iran's National Cyberspace Center, Telegram’s legal license to establish CDNs in Iran is cancelled.
The decision for banning Telegram from use of domestic CDNs will probably lower the quality of the service provided by the messaging app, the statement said.
Iran has recently banned use of foreign massaging services including Telegram in all governmental organizations as well as public non-governmental institutions.
In a decree issued by Iranian Presidency’s Strategic Centre for Exchange of Information Security (AFTA) April 18 all executive agencies, state-run organizations as well as public non-governmental organizations have been banned from using foreign messaging software.
In recent weeks several Iranian officials have suggested Telegram, the most popular social media app in Iran, could soon be blocked.
In line with continuing attempts by the Iranian government to encourage citizens to use domestic messaging apps, the Ministry of Education also issued a directive on April 16 banning the use of foreign-made messaging apps at public schools throughout the country.
The directive specifically named Instagram, Line, Tango, Telegram and WhatsApp, saying the use of foreign social media networks and messaging apps to share administrative information, conduct public relations, send news, advertise or give homework to students at state, private or non-profit schools is prohibited and violators will be prosecuted.
Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi, the telecommunications minister, has said that the Telegram app is used by an estimated 40 million users in the country, almost the half the population.
The Supreme Council of Cyberspace has earlier set five conditions for foreign messengers to operate in Iran.
Storing and processing Iranian users’ data inside the country, complying with the rules and regulations related to the protection of users' privacy as well as responding to queries from judicial authorities are among the stated conditions.