Tuesday saw the social messaging platform, WhatsApp, express concerns over its application possibly becoming unavailable in Iran. This fear stems from Iranian state television’s appeal to its citizens to discontinue using the app.
Iranian officials have cautioned against the use of WhatsApp, Telegram, and other location-based applications. These platforms, they claim, are among Israel’s principal means of identifying and targeting individuals. This report was aired by Iran’s state-run broadcaster, IRIB, earlier on Tuesday.
WhatsApp has voiced its concerns over these allegations, fearing it might lead to a blockade of their services during a critical time when their accessibility is paramount. “All of the messages you send to family and friends on WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted, meaning no one except the sender and recipient has access to those messages, not even WhatsApp,” a spokesperson for the company stated.
Furthermore, the spokesperson stressed that WhatsApp does not monitor precise user locations, message logs, or personal messages. They also assured that no bulk information is supplied to any government. “For over a decade, Meta has provided consistent transparency reports that include the limited circumstances when WhatsApp information has been requested,” the spokesperson added.
This development follows earlier reports that Iran’s Islamic regime appears to be tightening control over internet access amidst escalating tensions with Israel. Reports indicate that Israel launched airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, scientists, and senior military commanders last Friday, which Iran retaliated with missile attacks. Both nations have been engaged in recurring missile exchanges since then.
The significance becomes clear when we consider the findings of the internet monitoring group NetBlocks. Their analysis showed a 75% reduction in internet usage across Iran on Tuesday, likely limiting public access to essential information in these volatile times.
WhatsApp is owned by Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Iran’s autocratic government has previously targeted Meta’s platforms during periods of unrest. As recent as 2022, when Iran was engulfed in widespread protests over a student’s death in police custody, Meta reported a clampdown on Instagram usage by Iranian authorities, presumably to curtail information sharing among protesters.
While WhatsApp ensures end-to-end encryption, it is not impenetrable. Last month, the Israeli software company NSO Group was ordered to pay WhatsApp $167 million for hacking 1,400 people, including activists and journalists, in 2019 using a malicious software called Pegasus.
This story raises important questions about internet freedom, the right to privacy, and the role of technology in international conflict. But for now, the future of WhatsApp’s services in Iran remains uncertain.
