Page 51 - IRANRptAug19

9.2.5 TMT corporate news
Iran’s mobile telecom operators on June 23 blocked the Telegram and WhatsApp messaging services’ SMS and phone-call authorisation functions, London-based Manoto TV reported.
Iranian users have reportedly asked Telegram developers to allow authorisations via email as an email. The developers themselves were yet to comment on the situation, but the clampdown will effectively block all new installations and 2-step verifications, often used in Iran, to access the secure messaging platform.
Social media channels are advising users not to log out of their accounts—Telegram provides the option of obtaining an authorisation code on another device when an active session is running.
Telegram's active user base in Iran stands at approximately 40mn people. In Russia, where the founders of the service hail from, only around 10mn people are regular users of the app.
In April 2018, the Iranian government attempted to block the app ; however, third-party apps plugging into the system have kept many users online without the need for a virtual private network (VPN).
Iranian users of messaging services remain unconvinced by local messaging apps, fearing they are the work of their country’s intelligence organisations. Alternative local application Soroush has been ridiculed and slammed by Iranians as insecure and liable to hacking by government agencies. There have been claims it was developed by Iranian intelligence operatives.
51 IRAN Country Report August 2019 www.intellinews.com