News - Russia Enforces Telegram Restrictions Over Compliance Dispute

Russian authorities have intensified scrutiny on Telegram, charging the messaging platform with non-compliance with national laws, leading to operational slowdowns. The announcement from Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov comes in the wake of widespread user complaints about the app's performance issues across Russia. According to Peskov's statements on Wednesday, the action was initiated by the state media watchdog Roskomnadzor, which has accused Telegram of not adhering to legislative requirements. “Compliance with the law is paramount, and all service providers must meet these obligations,” Peskov urged, while acknowledging persistent dialogues with Telegram’s management. He noted that, “Although there is consistent communication with Telegram, Roskomnadzor is compelled to act when there is no cooperation, strictly following national legal parameters. We express regret over the situation, noting that these measures are less than ideal, but legal mandates must prevail.” Users reported experiencing extensive service outages over the weekend, primarily impacting media sharing and chatbot functionalities. Following these disruptions, Roskomnadzor declared a clampdown on Telegram's operations, cautioning that the restrictions will persist until Telegram aligns with Russian statutory expectations. Subsequent to these developments, a Moscow court penalized Telegram with a 10.8 million ruble fine (approximately $139,757 USD) for its failure to curb access to content officially banned in Russia. Telegram's creator, Pavel Durov, reacted by denouncing the imposed slowdown, reinforcing his platform’s values of championing free speech and user privacy amid external pressures. Russian officials have accused both Telegram and Meta's WhatsApp of inconsistent cooperation concerning data sharing requests. They allege that while these platforms have declined Russian law enforcement's requests relevant to fraud and terrorism investigations, they have demonstrated compliance with similar international inquiries. Moreover, these applications reportedly face misuse by Ukrainian intelligence to coerce Russian nationals, particularly targeting the elderly, into participating in sabotage acts. In response, Russian authorities are advocating for a transition to 'MAX', an indigenous messaging platform, promising enhanced digital security and reduced exposure to foreign influence, thus bolstering the nation’s digital sovereignty.