Priyanka Tiwari
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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : In a dramatic escalation of its digital crackdown, Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has accused the popular messaging app WhatsApp of being a spy tool for its arch-enemy, Israel, and is urging its citizens to delete the application immediately.
The accusation, made by the IRGC's intelligence wing, claims that the "Zionist-controlled" app is being used for intelligence gathering and espionage against the Iranian people. As an alternative, the government is aggressively promoting the use of state-approved domestic messaging platforms like Rubika, Soroush, Eitaa, and Bale.
Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, has forcefully pushed back against the allegations. In a statement, the tech giant called the claims "baseless" and reiterated the security features of its platform. "There is no truth to these claims. The safety and security of our users' private messages are our priority," a Meta spokesperson said, emphasizing that all personal messages on WhatsApp are protected by default with end-to-end encryption.
This move is the latest chapter in the long-running information war between Iran and the West. Iran has a history of blocking major international social media and communication platforms, including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Telegram, in an effort to control the flow of information and stifle dissent.
Despite being officially banned, WhatsApp remains incredibly popular in Iran, with millions of citizens accessing it daily using VPNs to bypass government censorship. This latest campaign by the IRGC represents a significant attempt to sever that connection and herd users onto domestic apps where their communications can be more easily monitored by the state.
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