A renowned Russian Internet entrepreneur who created a mobile messaging app popular in Iran said Iranian authorities have blocked the app after his company refused their demands to help them "spy on their citizens", RFE reported.
Pavel Durov, the enigmatic founder of Russia's most popular social-networking site, Vkontakte, said on Twitter on October 20 that Iran's Ministry of Information and Communications Technology demanded that the app, called Telegram, provide the ministry "with spying and censorship tools."
"We ignored the demand, they blocked us," Durov wrote.
Late October 20, after word of the blockage was publicized, Durov tweeted that "Telegram traffic is no longer limited in Iran after a week's interference and...2 hours full blocking."