Iran judiciary blocks Telegram app voice callsApril 19, 2017 - 13:37 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran's judiciary has blocked newly introduced voice calls on Telegram, the most popular messaging app in the country, state media reported on Wednesday, April 19, AFP reports. The blockage follows the arrest last month of 12 people who ran popular reformist channels on Telegram, ahead of a presidential election next month. It was not clear if the blockage of voice calls, which Telegram introduced worldwide last week, was political or designed to protect the commercial interests of domestic phone companies. "We gave the authorisation for the establishment of Telegram's voice call service on Friday... but it was blocked by a judicial order," Telecommunications Minister Mahmoud Vaezi told reformist newspaper Shargh. "You should ask the judiciary for the reason." Last month, the conservative-dominated judiciary blocked the online navigation app Waze because it was designed in Israel, which Iran does not recognise. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov confirmed the blocking of voice calls. "In Iran, where Telegram has some 40 million active users, Telegram voice calls have been completely blocked by the country's internet providers and mobile operators following an order from the judiciary," he wrote on his official channel. "Telegram has historically had problems with regulators in some parts of the world because, unlike other services, we consistently defended our users' privacy and have never made any deals with governments." Iranian officials have previously said there were around 20 million Telegram users in the country, which has a population of some 80 million. As well as a messaging tool, Telegram has become the leading source of news for many Iranians, with some channels boasting more than a million subscribers. Related links: Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | Armenia, Turkey discuss restoration of historic bridge The meeting took place on May 17 in Ashgabat on the sidelines of an international conference of ministers of culture. India wants Armenia’s proposals on use of Chabahar port India is expecting proposals from Armenia regarding the use of Chabahar port in Iran, Indian ambassador says. EU welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan “progress” The EU has welcomed “progress” made in the framework of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation process. Belarus opposition leader slams Lukashenko for Karabakh trip Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has harshly criticized the visit of Lukashenko to Karabakh. |