Iran claims Telegram will shut down channels requested by Tehran
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran said that Telegram, the most popular social media network in the country, has agreed to Tehran’s request to shut down apps and “immoral channels in contradiction to the Islamic Republic’s codes.”
The Fars news agency on Sunday quoted communications minister Mahmud Vaezi as saying that Telegram would shut down content reported as inappropriate by Iran.
“After our correspondence with Telegram headquarters in Russia, they announced that any channels reported by the (Iranian) Communications and Information Technology Ministry will be blocked,” according to Fars.
Telegram did not respond to repeated efforts by Rudaw to confirm Iran’s claim.
Earlier this month Vaezi said that his ministry had reported some channels engaging in activities on Telegram that were not in line with Iran's rules. He said authorities "have listed several other channels for removal," on the Telegram messaging app.
Parts of the pages and channels of the Kurdistan Democratic Party-Iran, including its Telegram channel, were shut down. Karim Parwezi, a member of the KDPI politburo, told Rudaw that, after his party said it was boycotting the next parliamentary elections in Iran, top officials of the Islamic Republic decided to block their activities on the social network site.
Telegram’s founder Paul Durov tweeted on October 20 that “Iranian officials want to use telegram to spy on their citizens. We cannot and will not help them with that.”
Speaking of the Islamic State group, Durov said his company has banned over 660 public ISIS channels since November.
The Fars news agency on Sunday quoted communications minister Mahmud Vaezi as saying that Telegram would shut down content reported as inappropriate by Iran.
“After our correspondence with Telegram headquarters in Russia, they announced that any channels reported by the (Iranian) Communications and Information Technology Ministry will be blocked,” according to Fars.
Telegram did not respond to repeated efforts by Rudaw to confirm Iran’s claim.
Earlier this month Vaezi said that his ministry had reported some channels engaging in activities on Telegram that were not in line with Iran's rules. He said authorities "have listed several other channels for removal," on the Telegram messaging app.
Parts of the pages and channels of the Kurdistan Democratic Party-Iran, including its Telegram channel, were shut down. Karim Parwezi, a member of the KDPI politburo, told Rudaw that, after his party said it was boycotting the next parliamentary elections in Iran, top officials of the Islamic Republic decided to block their activities on the social network site.
Telegram’s founder Paul Durov tweeted on October 20 that “Iranian officials want to use telegram to spy on their citizens. We cannot and will not help them with that.”
Speaking of the Islamic State group, Durov said his company has banned over 660 public ISIS channels since November.