UK-based messaging app accused of transferring data to Iran
29/01/2026 | The Guardian
The creators of Gap Messenger, a messaging app accused of facilitating state surveillance in Iran, have been traced to a registered business address in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex. Hadi and Mahdi Anjidani are the founders of TS Information Technology, the UK branch of an Iranian software corporation. Although Gap Messenger markets itself as an encrypted platform that protects user privacy, digital rights experts and monitoring organisations such as FilterWatch have accused the app of being a primary tool for government internet control and suppression.
According to leaked emails from the Iranian attorney general’s office, the platform has reportedly transferred user data to national censorship authorities. Experts suggest the app functions as a mechanism to shepherd citizens onto domestic platforms that the regime can easily monitor, bypassing the legal and technical barriers associated with global services. This data transfer capability is a central feature of Iran's domestic internet, a parallel network designed to consolidate surveillance and silence dissidents during periods of unrest and anti-government protests.
The company’s chief executive has publicly supported strict censorship measures on state television and reportedly maintains close ties with high-ranking Iranian officials. Despite its role in the national internet infrastructure, Gap Messenger remains available on global platforms, boasting millions of downloads. Critics argue that such domestic apps are not intended to foster innovation but are specifically engineered to facilitate data collection and monitor conversations for the purpose of state security.
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