Telegram and Instagram blocked in Iran

In Iran, where protests have been ongoing since December 28, the Telegram messenger and the social network Instagram are blocked.

The authorities explained this decision by the need to "maintain the peace and security of citizens," the Associated Press reported on state television. According to a source cited on TV, the decision was made by Iran's Supreme National Security Council and is temporary.

According to unconfirmed reports , Internet access is also restricted in many Iranian cities.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov attributed the blocking to the company's "public refusal" to block the channels used by the protesters.

We are talking about the Sedaie Mardom channel, which was created by Amad News after blocking their main channel, in which instructions for using Molotov cocktails appeared. That channel, which had 1.4 million subscribers, was blocked by Telegram following a complaint from the Iranian Communications Minister. The new channel at the time of publication of the news has more than 820 thousand subscribers.

• Protests have continued in Iran since December 28, the reason for which was the rise in prices and the fall in living standards. The protesters also oppose Iran's involvement in conflicts abroad and chant slogans against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Protests are accompanied by clashes with police and riots.
• At least two people died during the protests. Information spread on social networks that they were killed by the police. The authorities blamed the incident on "foreign agents".
• Telegram is one of the main means of communication in Iran, where major Western social networks are blocked. According to available data, about 40 million people use it, that is, about half of the country's population. In June 2016, the messenger accounted for 40% of all Internet traffic in Iran.