29 Sept 2025
Episode 138 of Tak Tak critically examines several Iranian government initiatives, including a summer closure plan with travel subsidies, the introduction of a digital rial, and efforts to mandate internal messaging apps for government services. The program also contrasts these domestic policies with global technology advancements like Starlink's direct-to-cell service and Google's AI-powered web tools, highlighting widespread dissatisfaction with internet restrictions and economic conditions in Iran.
The government proposed closing for a week in summer, offering 100 tomans in subsidies to encourage travel. This initiative is criticized as ineffective due to severe economic hardships, leaving people without sufficient funds to utilize the subsidies, and leading to widespread business closures.
The digital rial has entered its implementation phase, allowing digital transactions up to 15 million tomans. It is described as real money without printing or transport problems, allowing unlimited production; however, critics argue that printing more money without backing will cause inflation and that the digital rial lacks a value-sustaining foundation.
Negotiations are underway to export native Iranian messaging services to neighboring countries, framed as a 'white label' service using Telegram's API. This is criticized as simply repackaging existing foreign technology (like Telegram's API) and selling it as an internal platform, with concerns raised about security and privacy, similar to the Chat GPT API's handling.
Government meetings are focused on transforming internal messaging services (like IGAP, Soroush Plus) into exclusive platforms for all government services. This policy aims to force citizens to use domestic apps for essential public services, preventing access through foreign platforms.
The Dandelion project establishes connections between various messengers, enabling the Qasedak company to send government messages across all platforms. A 'super app' concept is proposed to merge all services, including digital rial transactions, car insurance, and ID registrations, into one application, raising significant concerns about centralized hacking risks.
An order was issued to cease the activities of Aparat Sport, a platform with over two million monthly viewers and a valid license. This shutdown is criticized as unnecessary and possibly triggered by incidents like showing women during football matches, reflecting broader issues with censorship and content restrictions.
CMF introduced the Watch S Pro, a smartwatch available in three colors with distinct designs, priced under $100. It boasts a 13-day battery life, 120 watch faces, 131 sports modes, intelligent activity detection, and advanced health monitoring features, supporting Android 6+ and iOS 13+.
New laws in Iran clarify penalties for the unlicensed use of satellite internet devices like Starlink. Using, storing, buying, selling, importing, or providing such devices without a license is prohibited, punishable by 6 months to 3 years in prison for individuals, and 5 to 10 years for importing over 10 devices, categorizing these actions as disruptions to national security. Obtaining a license is currently practically impossible.
The Minister of Communications acknowledged that previous e-government models failed to achieve desired goals, necessitating a shift towards a 'smart government' model. This new approach involves private sector operators in content production and a clear division of labor to realize smart governance.
The Minister of Economy announced a move towards 'smart taxation,' aiming to systematize tax determination and automatically exempt those with lower activity levels. This initiative is met with skepticism, highlighted by examples of doctors demanding cash payments and goldsmiths using multiple bank accounts to evade taxes under the current system.
T-Mobile and Starlink launched a direct-to-cell service that allows users to receive internet directly from Starlink satellites without special equipment for $15 a month. This service enables messaging in remote locations but does not support streaming, enhancing welfare and freedom of communication.
The Venus II communications satellite was launched into space from Russia by Iran; however, its flight was delayed, and it subsequently fell into the sea, indicating challenges in Iran's satellite launch capabilities.
Discussions on 'class-based' internet access for different user categories (e.g., businesses, students, doctors) are ongoing, with some officials proposing it as a solution to reduce filtering's impact on businesses. However, critics argue that such plans are futile and merely stabilize the current highly filtered internet environment.
Elon Musk announced the return of the Vine platform in an artificial intelligence-based service format, though the exact nature of this AI integration for 6-second videos remains unclear.
iOS 16 was released, offering new features with fewer bugs, though many attractive functionalities are inactive or non-functional in Iran. iPhone 16 models in Iran are mostly 'CH' variants, and there is no information on AI features for these models.
Google is introducing 'Web Guide,' an AI-powered feature in Search Labs that categorizes links. It uses AI to split searches, perform multiple queries simultaneously, and provide summarized results followed by categorized links.
Microsoft is reportedly copying visual identities and constantly changing its name and logo, with a new visual identity called 'Uncle' that features an animated, search-based facial expressions.
Google unveiled 'Opa,' a tool that allows users to create applications without programming knowledge, using a visual and editable workflow. This is anticipated to lead to companies repackaging existing APIs (e.g., Digikala template from WordPress) and reselling them as custom-built apps at inflated prices.
The Cloud AI application is available for Windows and Mac, with advanced features on Mac, including system control, note reading, and integration with other programs via plugins. It is recommended for creating user interfaces and can help startups achieve faster development.
User comments addressed topics such as the safety of the Vittori app (deemed safe if configurations are not shared), issues with bank transfer buttons, debates on US salary calculations ($1600-$1700/month for a worker), laptop recommendations (iPad suggested for online classes and trading), and the practice of SIM card operators selling phones with locked carriers in other countries.
Concerns were raised that many cars manufactured in Mexico for the US market, including Toyotas, are filled with drugs and exported to the US. This issue is attributed to the presence of large cartels and cheaper logistics compared to other manufacturing hubs.
Given the very high intensity of internet filtering, plans to introduce class-based internet access cannot succeed and only stabilize the current situation.
| Policy/Technology | Government Claim/Purpose | Critique/Reality |
|---|---|---|
| Government Summer Closure Plan | Encourage travel with subsidies and offer holidays. | Ineffective due to economic hardship; subsidies are too small, leading to business stagnation rather than travel. |
| Digital Rial | Facilitate digital transactions and overcome physical money problems; allow unlimited production. | Printing money without backing will cause inflation; lacks intrinsic value and necessary support for its worth. |
| Export of Native Messaging Services | Offer Iranian media messages as a 'white label' service to neighboring countries. | Essentially repackaging existing foreign APIs (e.g., Telegram) as native, raising privacy and security concerns for users. |
| Mandatory Internal Messaging for Government Services | Streamline government services and enhance local platform usage. | Forces citizens to use domestic apps, restricts access to services via foreign platforms, and lacks international precedent for essential government services. |
| Starlink Use Regulations in Iran | Maintain national security and control internet access. | Prohibits unlicensed use with severe penalties (up to 15 years in prison for commercial scale), but obtaining a legal license is currently impossible, criminalizing legitimate use. |
| Class-Based Internet | Reduce filtering impact on businesses and cater to different user needs. | Such plans are deemed futile and will fail given the high intensity of existing internet filtering, only stabilizing the current restrictive environment. |
| Smart Taxation Initiative | Move beyond traditional tax methods to a systemic, intelligent approach; exempt low-activity individuals. | Existing tax evasion methods (cash transactions, multiple accounts) for professionals like doctors and goldsmiths make a 'smart' system challenging and largely theoretical. |
