New Internet Order (Iranians STILL Don't have Internet)

A couple of days ago, I finally installed "Bale." For those who aren't familiar with the online sphere in Iran, this app is like WhatsApp/Telegram, but with direct state control over the data cycle and every tiny little message sent by the users. Assuming the whole concept of "end-to-end encryption" has been thrown in the toilet by recent efforts from Zuckerberg and co, not having a secure channel doesn't seem to be a problem unique to Iranians. However, the problem with Bale's case is that the Islamic Republic isn't the most benevolent and progressive regime when it comes to the freedom of speech, and the app itself looks like a cheap knockoff of Telegram, which, in my opinion, is by far the best messenger on the planet (except for the lack of restrictions on certain types of illegal content). Correspondingly, the recent internet shutdown in Iran has been more severe than any other blockage I can remember. Access to the internet has turned into a privilege for certain social classes…