Russian authorities have confirmed taking action against the Telegram messenger, accusing it of failing to comply with the law. The announcement comes after users across the country reported issues with the app.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor had begun taking action against Telegram because “there is a law that must be followed” and companies providing services must comply with all relevant legislation.
“We know that we are in contact with people from Telegram, but if there is no response, then Roskomnadzor will take action, again in accordance with our legislation,” Peskov said, adding that “one can only express regret here, there is nothing good about this, but the law must be followed.”
Over the weekend, users across Russia reported issues in Telegram’s functionality with videos and photos becoming virtually impossible to send and various bots significantly slowing down.
On Tuesday Roskomnadzor confirmed restricting the messenger’s operations, stating that the measures would be in place until Telegram comes into compliance with Russian law.
On Wednesday, a Moscow court also found Telegram guilty of failing to remove or block access to content banned from distribution in Russia, fining the messenger 10.8 million rubles ($139,757).
Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, criticized the restrictions, stating that his company “stands for freedom of speech and privacy, no matter the pressure.”
Russian officials have repeatedly accused Telegram and Meta’s WhatsApp of double standards over data requests. Last year, the Digital Development Ministry pointed out that the two messengers continuously refuse to provide information to Russian law enforcement in matters related to fraud and terrorism, while at the same time “promptly” fulfilling such requests from foreign intelligence services.
The two messengers have also frequently been exploited by Ukrainian intelligence services to recruit and pressure Russian citizens, particularly the elderly, into carrying out sabotage missions.
Russian officials have urged citizens to switch over to the new domestically developed MAX messenger as a secure alternative to foreign platforms that would help curb online fraud and strengthen the country’s digital sovereignty.