Iran has announced it is seeking to move the application “Telegram” servers used by more than 15 million of its people, into the country.

 

State run news agency “IRNA” quoted an official as saying Tehran had launched “negotiations” with Telegram’s officials, adding that “Microsoft and Google seek transferring their servers into the country as well.”

 

The announcement comes amid human rights organizations concerns over tightening controls of citizens and the possibility of spying on activists through this application, which is widely popular in Iran.

 

Almost 60% of Iran’s Internet bandwidth usage accounts for the messaging app Telegram, Mohammad Hassan Entezari, a member of Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace, said earlier.

 

The figure is significantly high and officials should pay attention to that, Entezari said, Nasim news agency reported earlier this month.

 

He also expressed concern over the transfer of Iranian users’ data to foreigners via foreign messaging apps that are not under control of the Iranian administration. According to Mehr news agency some 80.5% of Telegram users are Iranians.

 

Earlier in August, Reuters said Iranian hackers had compromised more than a dozen accounts on the Telegram instant messaging service and identified the phone numbers of 15 million Iranian users, the largest known breach of the encrypted communications system, cyber researchers told Reuters.