Chairman for the Committee for Foreign Policy and National Security Committee of Iran Alaeddin Boroujerdi’s announcement that the Telegram app will be banned in the country later this month sparked debate among lawmakers and political circles. He said that the app will be blocked on April 20, citing security reasons. The information exchanged through Telegram can be obtained by Britain, Germany and Israel, he warned, revealing that a major political power, which he refused to reveal, had taken the decision to ban the app. Boroujerdi blamed the application for fueling the anti-regime protests that have been taking place in Iran in recent months. “This network, with its complicated design, is in fact hiding a security threat,” he stated. Reformist Alireza Rahimi denied however that the app will be banned, warning of the negative consequences the announcement may have on the safety of society and the concerns it may spark among the people. Another politician, Jalil Rahimi Jahan Abadi criticized the ban, saying: “The violation of human rights cannot guarantee the country’s permanent security.” He instead stressed the importance of communication between the people, citing Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that calls for respecting freedom of expression. Head of the Telegram app revealed in December that it is used by some 40 million Iranians. The app is expected to resort to the blockchain method in order to confront the Iranian authorities’ ban. President Hassan Rouhani had in January approved a temporary ban of the app in wake of the anti-regime protests. This move and others to block internet websites serves as a blow to hopes that Rouhani would remain true to his presidential campaign slogans of bolstering freedoms in Iran.