Popular smartphone messaging application, Telegram Messenger, spontaneously went offline in Iran on Saturday between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The large-scale shutdown was also reported across the country, ISNA reported. The short-term closure of the program was also reported to the Telecoms Ministry that denied any responsibility for the cut. Throughout the day, concerned users of the software assumed the shutoff was due in part to the government upgrading infrastructure to accommodate the new national network, but the ministry denied any involvement in the disruption. Users in several other countries also reported a disruption to their service, including Italy, the United Kingdom, South Africa, South Korea, Spain and the Netherlands, to name a few. Over the past few months, different instant messaging applications have faced sporadic crackdowns from sections of the government. Earlier this year, for no apparent reason, Viber–the previously de facto messaging application–was disconnected from within the country, causing users to shut down their accounts and move to Telegram Messenger.
