Iran urges citizens to delete WhatsApp amid espionage allegations

Iranian state television on Tuesday called on citizens to delete WhatsApp from their smartphones, without providing specific evidence, claiming that the Meta-owned messaging platform was collecting user data to send to Israel.

The broadcast marks the latest move by Tehran to assert greater control over digital communications amid heightened regional tensions and domestic unease.

In response, WhatsApp strongly rejected the accusation.

“We are concerned these false reports will be an excuse for our services to be blocked at a time when people need them the most,” the private messaging company said.

It reiterated that it uses end-to-end encryption, which ensures only the sender and recipient of a message can read its contents.

“We do not track your precise location, we don’t keep logs of who everyone is messaging, and we do not provide bulk information to any government,” WhatsApp added.

Despite this, cybersecurity experts note that WhatsApp does retain some unencrypted metadata, such as timestamps and general usage patterns.

Gregory Falco, an assistant professor of engineering at Cornell University, emphasized that while message contents remain secure, metadata can offer insights into communication behaviours.

“That’s been a consistent issue where people have not been interested in engaging with WhatsApp,” he said.

Falco also highlighted concerns about data sovereignty — where user data is stored and processed. “It’s more than feasible, for instance, that WhatsApp’s data from Iran is not hosted in Iran,” he said.

“Countries need to house their data in-country and process the data in-country with their own algorithms.”

WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta Platforms, also operates Facebook and Instagram — both of which have faced intermittent restrictions in Iran.

Iran has a history of blocking access to major social media platforms, particularly during periods of political unrest.

WhatsApp and Google Play were previously banned in 2022 following nationwide protests over the death of a woman in police custody, though that ban was lifted in late 2024. Many Iranians continue to use the app via VPNs and proxy services.

Until now, WhatsApp had remained one of the most widely used messaging apps in Iran, alongside Instagram and Telegram.

It remains to be seen whether the government's latest directive will translate into widespread compliance or further fuel the country’s growing reliance on encrypted communications and circumvention tools.

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