Iran has told Telegram that a years-long ban on the messaging app will be lifted only if it agrees to cooperate with the judiciary and follow new oversight rules, state media reported on Saturday.
Mehr news agency said Iranian negotiators presented several conditions to Telegram during talks held this week. The terms include assisting judicial authorities with domestic legal requests, removing content reported by users, blocking posts that promote ethnic tensions or terrorism, and ensuring user data is not shared with foreign intelligence services.
The discussions are being led by the communications ministry under a directive from the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, which authorized talks with foreign platforms, Mehr said.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Fars news agency, which is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, said no vote had been taken by a government committee on lifting bans on Telegram, YouTube and Instagram. It said decisions on foreign platforms must follow a 32-point plan approved by President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The plan, which earlier led to the unblocking of WhatsApp and Google Play, requires foreign companies to accept Iran’s digital sovereignty and comply with domestic law.
Lawmakers have said all parts of the plan must be completed before Telegram’s case can move forward. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said each stage should be implemented in order before reviewing the app’s status, according to Fars.
Telegram has been blocked in Iran since 2018 after officials said it was used to organize protests. Despite the ban, millions of Iranians continue to use the app through virtual private networks.
A recent government survey found that only 2.4 percent of users are “very satisfied” with internet quality and that more than 80 percent rely on VPNs to access blocked platforms. Officials say restrictions are needed for national security, while critics say censorship has hurt small businesses and public communication. Telegram has not commented publicly on the reported talks.
