Extension of Activity Deadline for Hotgram and Golden Telegram Until the End of Azar

The head of Iran's National Cyberspace Center announced that the deadline for the operation of Hotgram and Golden Telegram, referred to as 'Persian versions of Telegram', has been extended until the end of Azar (December). According to ISNA news agency, Abolhassan Firouzabadi stated on Tuesday, November 28, that during the transition period from Telegram to domestic messaging apps, these 'Persian versions of Telegram' were initially granted a deadline until Shahrivar (September). He announced that due to existing conditions, including sanctions, this deadline has been extended until the end of Azar. After blocking Telegram, Iranian officials stated that the activities of Golden Telegram and Hotgram would continue without obstacles. Abdolsamad Khorramabadi, secretary of the working group for determining the criteria for criminal content, stated that 'these two are not messaging apps' but 'are actually two internal VPNs managed by a single entity.' Meanwhile, the Human Rights Campaign in Iran warned that Golden Telegram and Hotgram 'censor Telegram's content based on orders from Iranian officials and provide access to users' identity verification codes.' On the same day, the head of the National Cyberspace Center also mentioned that 'based on reports from the two Persian versions of Telegram, these two messaging networks have independently separated from Telegram in a laboratory manner.' Mr. Firouzabadi added, 'This independence has been experimental, and full implementation requires hardware and equipment such as data centers and servers, which we hope will be fully operational within the designated timeframe.' However, the claim of independence of Hotgram and Golden Telegram from Telegram has been rejected by some experts, including Amir Rashidi. After blocking Telegram, the Iranian government announced its support for domestic messaging apps, including a loan of five billion tomans as part of this support. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Abbas Asoshe, deputy head of the National Cyberspace Center, announced that from now on, only two messaging apps, 'Soroush' and 'Gap', will receive support. According to Mr. Asoshe, the government previously supported seven messaging apps but 'due to limited resources... has narrowed the scope of support' to provide 'better support.' The 'Soroush' messaging app has been expanded under the support of the Islamic Republic Broadcasting Organization, with a significant portion of its shares belonging to the broadcasting organization. The Hamshahri newspaper introduced Mohammad Rasoul Kazemi as the CEO of 'iGap' and added that this messaging app is supported by the 'Roi Khate Media' company, established in 2015, which operates in the design, programming, and support of communication and media software for mobile phones. On Sunday, the 'Regulating Social Messaging Apps' plan was also announced in the parliament. Article 12 of this plan calls for the transfer of internet gateway authority from the government and the handover of internet servers to the armed forces. Specialized internet magazines in Iran have also reported that, based on the 'Regulating' plan for social messaging apps, the issuance of import licenses and the use of mobile phones will be contingent upon the 'pre-installation' of domestic messaging apps on the devices. According to the 'Payvast Monthly' and other websites, if this plan is approved by the parliament, several domestic messaging apps must be installed on each new phone to access the network. Previously, some parliament members explicitly stated that Iranian users do not trust domestic messaging apps, which was one of the reasons for the order to block Telegram. Meanwhile, a survey conducted by a polling institute in Iran in Tir (July) shows that 79% of Telegram users, despite its blockage, continue to use the network.