Days after Russian clampdown, Iran signals that a ban of Telegram is imminent

The Iranian government appears to be preparing to institute a nationwide ban of Telegram, only days after Russia banned Telegram. Earlier this year, Iran temporarily banned Telegram and Instagram during widespread protests in January. Telegram — an encrypted messaging app that also features channels often used by official bodies like news organizations or even government entities — has 40 million users in Iran, a country where approximately 50 million people have internet access. In a public announcement on Wednesday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said that government entities would no longer be using Telegram, in an effort to curb Telegram’s “monopoly.” As a testament to Telegram’s monopoly, Khamenei posted this message on his... Continue reading…