Latest news with #Neshan
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Iranians struggle with GPS disruption after Israel war
TEHRAN: The streets of Tehran have become a confusing maze for driver Farshad Fooladi amid widespread GPS disruption, still ongoing nearly two months after the end of Iran and Israel's unprecedented 12-day war. "For weeks I have been unable to work," said Fooladi, who uses Iran's homegrown ride-hailing app Snapp to find customers. "Most of the time was wasted wandering around aimlessly," the 35-year-old Iranian driver added. Unprecedented disruption has plagued users of GPS, which stands for Global Positioning System, in Iran since Israel's surprise attack in mid-June which triggered a deadly 12-day war. Iran's communications ministry has said the disruptions were necessary for "security and military purposes", without giving further explanation. Missiles, drones and rockets often use GPS or other similar technologies, which involve triangulating signals from multiple satellites, to find their targets. Iran has long employed GPS jamming and spoofing around sensitive military sites but the recent disruptions have been the most sustained and widespread. It remains unclear how long the measures will last or how much damage they have caused to Iranian businesses. Ride-hailing apps, delivery platforms, and even basic mapping services like Google Maps and its Iranian equivalent Neshan have buckled under the interference. In many areas, especially around Tehran, users often spot themselves on the maps hundreds of kilometres away from their actual locations. "To get around, you either need a sharp memory for routes or already know the city well," Fooladi said. But the driver, originally from the western Lorestan province and less familiar with the capital's winding backstreets, frequently finds himself running into dead ends. "I only pick up passengers who know the directions, " he said, adding the strategy had severely cut his income. 'Collateral damage' In early August, the chief executive of the Neshan mapping app, Javad Amel, said in a video interview that daily disruptions through GPS spoofing had been ongoing for years, especially in Tehran. But he explained in recent weeks that Neshan's daily active users "had dropped by 15 percent, while navigation activity on the app fell by 20 percent". The continued disruption has heightened fears of a deepening economic crisis among Iranians. The Islamic republic's economy is already struggling under the weight of decades of international sanctions and mismanagement, compounded by the revival of US President Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign earlier this year. Nuclear talks with Washington, which began in April, have also stalled since the United States joined its ally Israel to strike Iranian nuclear sites in June. "This war has upended our lives and frozen our future plans," said Fooladi. In a report last week, the Khabar Online news agency warned against the disruption of GPS, saying it caused "collateral damage" to the digital economy and public safety, including delays to emergency services. Former communications minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi argued the disruption was costly and would likely have limited defensive results. "Drone manufacturers and operators are not stupid either. If the GPS is disrupted and another positioning system replaces it, they will also use the new system," Jahromi said according to his Telegram channel. 'Unclear future' With the significant impact on civilian lives, deputy communications minister Ehsan Chitsaz suggested that Iran could consider alternatives to GPS. "Disruptions are created by domestic systems on GPS, and this has pushed us toward alternative options such as BeiDou," he told Iranian daily Ham Mihan in July. The Chinese satellite system BeiDou, fully operational since 2020, is emerging as a global rival to the US-built and operated GPS. Chitsaz said Iran was "drafting a program" so some of the country's location-based services for transport, agriculture could "gradually migrate from GPS to BeiDou". He acknowledged disruptions in Iran, coupled with years-long internet restrictions, have damaged businesses and created "social distrust and despair". But experts say that replacing GPS would be complex. "Doing so would require extensive and costly infrastructure changes," said Amir Rashidi of the US-based Miaan group, adding that Iran is currently "highly vulnerable in cyberspace". Many in Iran believe that another confrontation with Israel is on the horizon as Israel and the United States continue to threaten attacks if Iran restarts its nuclear programme, which has been on hold since the war. "Everything is uncertain, and we can't plan. The future is unclear," said Mohammad Hossein Ghanbari, a 32-year-old Snapp driver. "We don't know whether the war will break out again or what will happen next." – AFP
The Hindu
a day ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Iran residents struggle with GPS disruptions; EU pushes to protect digital rules; Apple refutes Elon Musk's claims of bias
Iran residents struggle with GPS disruptions Though it has been more than a full month since Israel's attack against Iran in June, daily life for residents in Iran is still far from normal. Disruptions to their Global Positioning System (GPS) have made it almost impossible for workers such as taxi drivers, delivery people, and passengers to commute around the city. Some of the affected services include ride-hailing apps, delivery platforms, Google Maps, and its Iranian equivalent that is called Neshan. Israel's attack against Iran led to a 12-day-long war between the two countries, with Iran's communications ministry justifying the disruptions by saying they were needed for 'security and military purposes.' These technological challenges add on to the existing difficulties Iranians face in their day-to-day lives due to U.S.-imposed sanctions. In particular, experts have warned that the efficiency of emergency services could be greatly affected by the GPS disruptions. One workaround is switching from the U.S.-operated GPS to the Chinese satellite system BeiDou. EU pushes to protect digital rules The formalisation of a trade deal between the U.S. and the European Union is being delayed by EU efforts to protect its digital regulations that are meant to ensure fair competition and force Big Tech companies to quickly act against harmful or illegal content posted on their platforms, reported The Financial Times. EU officials said there were some remaining disagreements over language related to 'non-tariff barriers,' while the U.S. said these included the digital rules. The U.S. administration has claimed that the EU's digital rules negatively cost American tech companies and that they impact free speech. While it is hoping for flexibility with regards to EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), the EU is firm about ensuring compliance. Apple refutes Elon Musk's claims of bias Apple has denied that its App Store offers a biased top listing to OpenAI's ChatGPT when compared to Elon Musk's Grok AI assistant. Musk made the highly public accusations on X (formerly Twitter) last week, and even threatened to launch legal action against Apple. He did not provide evidence to back up his claims of Grok being pushed down the Apple app store rankings in any way. However, Musk's claims in turn sparked a strong response from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who suggested that Musk had manipulated X to favour his own content. Apple said to the news outlet AFP that its app store was designed to be fair and free of bias. 'We feature thousands of apps through charts, algorithmic recommendations, and curated lists selected by experts using objective criteria,' said the company in its statement.
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Iranians struggle with GPS disruption after Israel war
The streets of Tehran have become a confusing maze for driver Farshad Fooladi amid widespread GPS disruption, still ongoing nearly two months after the end of Iran and Israel's unprecedented 12-day war. "For weeks I have been unable to work," said Fooladi, who uses Iran's homegrown ride-hailing app Snapp to find customers. "Most of the time was wasted wandering around aimlessly," the 35-year-old Iranian driver added. Unprecedented disruption has plagued users of GPS, which stands for Global Positioning System, in Iran since Israel's surprise attack in mid-June which triggered a deadly 12-day war. Iran's communications ministry has said the disruptions were necessary for "security and military purposes", without giving further explanation. Missiles, drones and rockets often use GPS or other similar technologies, which involve triangulating signals from multiple satellites, to find their targets. Iran has long employed GPS jamming and spoofing around sensitive military sites but the recent disruptions have been the most sustained and widespread. It remains unclear how long the measures will last or how much damage they have caused to Iranian businesses. Ride-hailing apps, delivery platforms, and even basic mapping services like Google Maps and its Iranian equivalent Neshan have buckled under the interference. In many areas, especially around Tehran, users often spot themselves on the maps hundreds of kilometres away from their actual locations. "To get around, you either need a sharp memory for routes or already know the city well," Fooladi said. But the driver, originally from the western Lorestan province and less familiar with the capital's winding backstreets, frequently finds himself running into dead ends. "I only pick up passengers who know the directions, " he said, adding the strategy had severely cut his income. In early August, the chief executive of the Neshan mapping app, Javad Amel, said in a video interview that daily disruptions through GPS spoofing had been ongoing for years, especially in Tehran. But he explained in recent weeks that Neshan's daily active users "had dropped by 15 percent, while navigation activity on the app fell by 20 percent". The continued disruption has heightened fears of a deepening economic crisis among Iranians. The Islamic republic's economy is already struggling under the weight of decades of international sanctions and mismanagement, compounded by the revival of US President Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign earlier this year. Nuclear talks with Washington, which began in April, have also stalled since the United States joined its ally Israel to strike Iranian nuclear sites in June. "This war has upended our lives and frozen our future plans," said Fooladi. In a report last week, the Khabar Online news agency warned against the disruption of GPS, saying it caused "collateral damage" to the digital economy and public safety, including delays to emergency services. Former communications minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi argued the disruption was costly and would likely have limited defensive results. "Drone manufacturers and operators are not stupid either. If the GPS is disrupted and another positioning system replaces it, they will also use the new system," Jahromi said according to his Telegram channel. With the significant impact on civilian lives, deputy communications minister Ehsan Chitsaz suggested that Iran could consider alternatives to GPS. "Disruptions are created by domestic systems on GPS, and this has pushed us toward alternative options such as BeiDou," he told Iranian daily Ham Mihan in July. The Chinese satellite system BeiDou, fully operational since 2020, is emerging as a global rival to the US-built and operated GPS. Chitsaz said Iran was "drafting a program" so some of the country's location-based services for transport, agriculture could "gradually migrate from GPS to BeiDou". He acknowledged disruptions in Iran, coupled with years-long internet restrictions, have damaged businesses and created "social distrust and despair". But experts say that replacing GPS would be complex. "Doing so would require extensive and costly infrastructure changes," said Amir Rashidi of the US-based Miaan group, adding that Iran is currently "highly vulnerable in cyberspace". Many in Iran believe that another confrontation with Israel is on the horizon as Israel and the United States continue to threaten attacks if Iran restarts its nuclear programme, which has been on hold since the war. "Everything is uncertain, and we can't plan. The future is unclear," said Mohammad Hossein Ghanbari, a 32-year-old Snapp driver. "We don't know whether the war will break out again or what will happen next."
NDTV
2 days ago
- NDTV
GPS Disruption After Israel-Iran Conflict Makes Tehran's Roads Chaotic
The streets of Tehran have become a confusing maze for driver Farshad Fooladi amid widespread GPS disruption, still ongoing nearly two months after the end of Iran and Israel's unprecedented 12-day war. "For weeks I have been unable to work," said Fooladi, who uses Iran's homegrown ride-hailing app Snapp to find customers. "Most of the time was wasted wandering around aimlessly," the 35-year-old Iranian driver added. Unprecedented disruption has plagued users of GPS, which stands for Global Positioning System, in Iran since Israel's surprise attack in mid-June, which triggered a deadly 12-day war. Iran's communications ministry has said the disruptions were necessary for "security and military purposes", without giving further explanation. Missiles, drones and rockets often use GPS or other similar technologies, which involve triangulating signals from multiple satellites, to find their targets. Iran has long employed GPS jamming and spoofing around sensitive military sites, but the recent disruptions have been the most sustained and widespread. It remains unclear how long the measures will last or how much damage they have caused to Iranian businesses. Ride-hailing apps, delivery platforms, and even basic mapping services like Google Maps and its Iranian equivalent Neshan, have buckled under the interference. In many areas, especially around Tehran, users often spot themselves on the maps hundreds of kilometres away from their actual locations. "To get around, you either need a sharp memory for routes or already know the city well," Fooladi said. But the driver, originally from the western Lorestan province and less familiar with the capital's winding backstreets, frequently finds himself running into dead ends. "I only pick up passengers who know the directions, " he said, adding that the strategy had severely cut his income. 'Collateral damage' In early August, the chief executive of the Neshan mapping app, Javad Amel, said in a video interview that daily disruptions through GPS spoofing had been ongoing for years, especially in Tehran. But he explained in recent weeks that Neshan's daily active users "had dropped by 15 per cent, while navigation activity on the app fell by 20 per cent". The continued disruption has heightened fears of a deepening economic crisis among Iranians. The Islamic Republic's economy is already struggling under the weight of decades of international sanctions and mismanagement, compounded by the revival of US President Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign earlier this year. Nuclear talks with Washington, which began in April, have also stalled since the United States joined its ally Israel to strike Iranian nuclear sites in June. "This war has upended our lives and frozen our future plans," said Fooladi. In a report last week, the Khabar Online news agency warned against the disruption of GPS, saying it caused "collateral damage" to the digital economy and public safety, including delays to emergency services. Former communications minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi argued the disruption was costly and would likely have limited defensive results. "Drone manufacturers and operators are not stupid either. If the GPS is disrupted and another positioning system replaces it, they will also use the new system," Jahromi said according to his Telegram channel. 'Unclear future' With the significant impact on civilian lives, Deputy Communications Minister Ehsan Chitsaz suggested that Iran could consider alternatives to GPS. "Disruptions are created by domestic systems on GPS, and this has pushed us toward alternative options such as BeiDou," he told Iranian daily Ham Mihan in July. The Chinese satellite system BeiDou, fully operational since 2020, is emerging as a global rival to the US-built and operated GPS. Chitsaz said Iran was "drafting a program" so some of the country's location-based services for transport, agriculture could "gradually migrate from GPS to BeiDou". He acknowledged disruptions in Iran, coupled with years-long internet restrictions, have damaged businesses and created "social distrust and despair". But experts say that replacing GPS would be complex. "Doing so would require extensive and costly infrastructure changes," said Amir Rashidi of the US-based Miaan group, adding that Iran is currently "highly vulnerable in cyberspace". Many in Iran believe that another confrontation with Israel is on the horizon as Israel and the United States continue to threaten attacks if Iran restarts its nuclear programme, which has been on hold since the war. "Everything is uncertain, and we can't plan. The future is unclear," said Mohammad Hossein Ghanbari, a 32-year-old Snapp driver. "We don't know whether the war will break out again or what will happen next." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Roya News
2 days ago
- Business
- Roya News
Iran grapples with navigation chaos as GPS jamming continues
Nearly two months after the end of Iran and 'Israel's' unprecedented 12-day war, daily life in Tehran remains unsettled by widespread GPS disruptions that continue to paralyze transportation and digital services, according to a report by Agence France-Presse (AFP). For drivers like 35-year-old Farshad Fooladi, who relies on Iran's popular ride-hailing platform Snapp, the chaos has been devastating. 'For weeks I have been unable to work,' he said. 'Most of the time was wasted wandering around aimlessly.' - Disruptions across Iran - GPS signals began to falter shortly after 'Israel' launched its surprise attack in mid-June, sparking the conflict. Iran's communications ministry later admitted the interference was deliberate, citing 'security and military purposes' without further explanation. Satellite navigation systems are often critical for guiding missiles, rockets, and drones, prompting Iran to use jamming or spoofing tactics in the past, especially near military facilities. But this episode marks the most prolonged and widespread disruption to date, leaving businesses, commuters, and even emergency services in disarray. Basic navigation tools such as Google Maps and Iran's local mapping service Neshan have been hit particularly hard. Users in Tehran frequently find their locations misplaced by hundreds of kilometers, while some delivery and transport apps have nearly collapsed. 'To get around, you either need a sharp memory for routes or already know the city well,' Fooladi explained. Originally from Lorestan province, he admits he now avoids passengers unfamiliar with the capital's streets, a choice that has drastically cut into his income. - Economic impact deepens - In August, Neshan's chief executive Javad Amel revealed that the app's daily user activity had fallen by up to 20 percent, attributing the decline to persistent spoofing. The disruptions, layered onto an economy already battered by decades of sanctions and mismanagement, have intensified public anxiety. 'This war has upended our lives and frozen our future plans,' Fooladi said. The Khabar Online news agency recently warned that the interference has caused 'collateral damage' to Iran's digital economy and even public safety, noting delays to critical services like ambulances. Former communications minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi also questioned the effectiveness of the tactic. 'Drone manufacturers and operators are not stupid either. If the GPS is disrupted and another positioning system replaces it, they will also use the new system,' he argued on his Telegram channel. - Searching for alternatives - Iranian officials are now weighing whether to migrate away from GPS entirely. Deputy communications minister Ehsan Chitsaz suggested adopting China's BeiDou satellite navigation system, which became fully operational in 2020 and is seen as a rival to the US-operated GPS. 'Disruptions are created by domestic systems on GPS, and this has pushed us toward alternative options such as BeiDou,' Chitsaz told the Iranian daily Ham Mihan. He confirmed that plans are being drafted to gradually shift location-based services in transport and agriculture to the Chinese network. But experts warn such a move would be complicated. 'Doing so would require extensive and costly infrastructure changes,' said Amir Rashidi of the US-based Miaan group, adding that Iran remains 'highly vulnerable in cyberspace.' - Uncertain future - The continued technological disruptions come against a backdrop of stalled nuclear talks with Washington and fears of renewed conflict. 'Israel' and the US have repeatedly threatened further military action should Iran restart its nuclear program. For many Iranians, the uncertainty is unbearable. 'Everything is uncertain, and we can't plan. The future is unclear,' said Mohammad Hossein Ghanbari, a 32-year-old Snapp driver. 'We don't know whether the war will break out again or what will happen next.'
