Russia Cracks Down on Telegram Over Compliance Issues
Addressing the press on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov explained that the media watchdog Roskomnadzor had initiated actions against Telegram because “there is a law that must be followed” and companies offering services are required to comply with all applicable regulations.
Peskov added, “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,” further noting, “one can only express regret here, there is nothing good about this, but the law must be followed.”
Over the weekend, users reported that Telegram’s performance had been severely affected, with sending videos and photos becoming nearly impossible and many bots slowing down considerably.
On Tuesday, Roskomnadzor confirmed that it had restricted Telegram’s operations, clarifying that the limitations would remain until the platform complied with Russian legal requirements.
Additionally, a Moscow court ruled on Wednesday that Telegram had failed to remove or block access to content banned in Russia, imposing a fine of 10.8 million rubles ($139,757) on the company.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticized the move, emphasizing that his platform “stands for freedom of speech and privacy, no matter the pressure.”
Russian officials have repeatedly accused both Telegram and Meta’s WhatsApp of applying double standards regarding data requests. According to reports, last year the Digital Development Ministry noted that these messaging services routinely deny Russian law enforcement requests related to fraud and terrorism, while simultaneously “promptly” fulfilling similar demands from foreign intelligence agencies.
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