Telegram in Iran crackdown

Foreign messaging apps are the latest to feel the breath of the Iranian government on their neck: they've been told that user messages have to be held in onshore servers.

The country's Supreme Council of Cyberspace announced the rule through state media over the weekend, according to Reuters.

The statement said “foreign messaging companies active in the country are required to transfer all data and activity linked to Iranian citizens into the country in order to ensure their continued activity”.

Telegram is being singled out by the government, with the Mehr news agency reportedly saying that it's also been told to hand over data on its estimated 20 million users in Iran. Facebook and Twitter are already off the list for Iranian citizens without VPN access. ®