Iran gives social media a year to hand over data on its citizens

After years of trying to impose curbs on citizens using social media, Iran has set a one-year deadline for foreign social media to hand over data on their Iranian users. The decision was made on Saturday, May 28, at a meeting of an Iranian committee on the use of cyberspace headed by President Hassan Rouhani, according to state news agency IRNA. The measure will affect, in particular, Telegram, an instant messaging app with more than 20 million users in the Islamic republic, a country of 80 million people. Facebook and Twitter are officially banned in the country, although users can gain access with easily available software. 

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