Iran cuts off access to Telegram’s new voice call service

Iran's government has blocked access to the Telegram messaging app's free encrypted voice calls just days after the new feature was introduced in the country. Telecommunications Minister Mahmoud Vaezi said the service was authorized on Friday "but it was blocked by a judicial order," adding that those who want to know the reason "should ask the judiciary". Telegram CEO Pavel Durov confirmed that the voice calls "have been completely blocked by the country's internet providers and mobile operators". He said Telegram has approximately 40 million active users in Iran, which has a population is about 80 million. The platform is popular because of its encryption and its option of formatting messages to automatically delete themselves. Twelve Iranians who ran reformist channels on Telegram were arrested in March.