Russia declares war on Telegram and begins restricting its operations
Russia has declared war on Telegram and begun restricting its operations. According to Bloomberg, the Russian communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, has launched a plan to slow down access to the popular messaging app run by Pavel Durov.
This decision comes amid escalating tensions between Telegram and the Kremlin, which has seen some of the platform's features blocked since last year, including voice and video calls.
In another report on the same topic, Reuters noted that while Telegram continues to operate in Russia, some of its features, such as video uploading, have become significantly slower. In addition to restrictions on certain tools, the app faces other problems, including fines exceeding $800,000 for failing to delete information required under Russian law.
Russian attacks on Telegram have recently increased, allegedly due to the company's refusal to share information with authorities about suspected scams and terrorist plots. It's worth noting that Pavel Durov's app isn't the only one facing difficulties with Vladimir Putin's government; WhatsApp and Discord have also been restricted, and even Apple's FaceTime has been blocked in Russia.
In addition to restricting Telegram's functionality, Russia is promoting its own comprehensive messaging app called Max. According to Bloomberg, this app includes a variety of features such as a messaging platform, banking services, document storage, government services, and more.
In short, Max is the Russian version of the Chinese app WeChat. Naturally, the launch of this app has already raised concerns about its potential use as a tool for surveillance and espionage by the authorities. The Kremlin, of course, has denied these concerns.
As of the time of writing, Pavel Durov has not publicly commented on the Russian restrictions imposed on Telegram. The businessman recently made headlines after sending a mass message to Telegram users in Spain, criticizing Pedro Sánchez for the government's decision to restrict minors' access to social media. Durov was not alone in criticizing Sánchez; just days earlier, Elon Musk accused the Spanish president of being a "tyrant and a traitor."