Iran Declares Telegram Crypto Aspirations an Act Against National Security
The Iranian government has taken further steps against Telegram’s cryptocurrency development, the Tehran Times reports Dec. 31.
Secretary of the Criminal Content Definition Task Force Javad Javidnia has declared that any cooperation with the encrypted messaging app to launch its Gram token will be considered an act against national security and a disruption to the national economy. Javidnia stated:
“One of the most important factors in banning Telegram was a sense of serious economic threat from its activities, which was unfortunately marginalized and neglected due to the fuss in the political atmosphere of the country.”
Iran first banned the app in April when supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that government agencies would no longer use the app. The country’s judiciary subsequently forbade its use altogether. In December 2017, Iran temporarily blocked Telegram and photo-sharing app Instagram in order to “maintain peace” amid widespread protests.
