Iranically Iran, Middle East’s Karen…
- Thread starter Ron in Regina
- Start date
An informed citizenry is not nearly as compliant as a field of mushrooms.A WhatsApp spokesperson told TIME on Wednesday morning that the Meta-owned messaging platform is concerned about the reports coming from Iranian state television.
“We’re concerned these false reports will be an excuse for our services to be blocked at a time when people need them the most,” the emailed statement read. “All of the messages you send to family and friends on WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted. We do not track your precise location, we don’t keep logs of who everyone is messaging, and we do not track the personal messages people are sending one another. We do not provide bulk information to any government.”
View attachment 29687
WhatsApp's publicly-shared information purports that its “end-to-end encryption” effectively “locks” chats between individuals, and that no one, including WhatsApp, can access those messages.
A number of social media and messaging apps are banned or heavily restricted in Iran, including Instagram, Telegram, and X, but millions of Iranians still access the sites via VPNs.
Why Iran Is Urging Residents to Delete WhatsApp Amid Israel Conflict — TIME
A WhatsApp spokesperson told TIME that the messaging platform is concerned about the reports.apple.news
In 2022, WhatsApp and Google Play were banned by the Iranian government during nationwide protests after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody. Iran restored access to WhatsApp and Google Play in December 2024.
Iranians on Saturday began to see some internet access restored, giving people the opportunity to call friends and family for the first time in days, the Associated Press (AP) reports.
Those in the diaspora posted on social media about connecting to FaceTime or WhatsApp to call relatives they had been worried about.
Government officials had disconnected phone and web services earlier in the week for the more than 90 million people who live in Iran, citing cybersecurity threats from Israel.
But many Iranians and activists see it as another example of state information control and targeted internet shutdowns the Islamic Republic has deployed during periods of protests and unrest.
The move left civilians unaware of when and where Israel would strike next, despite Israeli forces issuing warnings through their Persian-language online channels.
When the missiles landed, lack of internet connection meant not knowing for hours or days if their family or friends are among the victims.
Tasnim news agency, which is closely affiliated with Iran’s government, quoted the information minister as saying that access to “international” internet ‘should’ be restored across the country by 8pm.
apple.news
Those in the diaspora posted on social media about connecting to FaceTime or WhatsApp to call relatives they had been worried about.
Government officials had disconnected phone and web services earlier in the week for the more than 90 million people who live in Iran, citing cybersecurity threats from Israel.
But many Iranians and activists see it as another example of state information control and targeted internet shutdowns the Islamic Republic has deployed during periods of protests and unrest.
The move left civilians unaware of when and where Israel would strike next, despite Israeli forces issuing warnings through their Persian-language online channels.
When the missiles landed, lack of internet connection meant not knowing for hours or days if their family or friends are among the victims.
Tasnim news agency, which is closely affiliated with Iran’s government, quoted the information minister as saying that access to “international” internet ‘should’ be restored across the country by 8pm.
Conrad Black: Israel is delivering a lethal blow to global terrorism — National Post
Eliminating Hamas and keeping Iran from developing nuclear arms is honourable work