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Russian officials have restricted access to Telegram, one of the country's most popular apps. Here's what we know.
Russian officials have now started restricting access to Telegram, one of Moscow's most popular social media platforms. This comes as the government tries to push citizens towards some of the state-owned alternatives to foreign tech platforms, CNN reported.
On Tuesday (local time), the Russian government announced that it is restricting access to Telegram for the "protection of Russian citizens", and accused the app of refusing to block content which authorities considered "criminal and terrorist.” The country's telecommunications regulator, Roskomnadzor, in a statement, said that it would continue to restrict the operations of the messaging platform “until violations of Russian law are eliminated.”
He said personal data of citizens is not protected on Telegram, adding that the messaging platform is taking no measures to counter fraud or the use of the platform for criminal and terrorist purposes.
Following accusations by the Russian authorities, Telegram has rejected those claims and said it is actively combating the harmful use of the platform.
Telegram faces a fine in Russia
According to TASS News, Telegram is facing a fine of 64 million rubles ($828,000) after it allegedly refused to remove restricted content from the platform and failed to self-regulate.
Russia's attempt to curb Telegram would fail: Pavel Durov
In a statement released Tuesday, the messaging platform's Russia-born founder, Pavel Durov, said that the country's attempt to restrict the platform would fail, adding that the platform stands for freedom of speech and privacy, no matter the pressure. He said that Moscow's decision to restrict access to the platform is an attempt to move citizens to a state-controlled app, which Durov says is built for surveillance and political censorship.
Russians face disruptions in using Telegram
Following the restrictions imposed, Telegram users across Russia reported disruptions, with thousands complaining that the messaging app was not working for them or was running slower than usual, the report said, citing data from the digital service tracking site Downdetector. The site reported over 11,000 complaints in a span of 24 hours.
Telegram a target for censorship?
The report suggests that the app is a remarkable target for the Russian authorities' censorship. The app is used by millions of people across Russia, ranging from top-level officials, state media services, and government bodies to the general public.
Criticising the restrictions, Amnesty International, in a report, said, "As usual, Russian authorities are resorting to the bluntest instrument in their digital repression toolbox: censorship and obstruction under the guise of protecting people’s rights and interests. Blocking or slowing down Telegram has little to do with protecting people from crime or fraud online and much more to do with further restricting their ability to communicate freely and safely."
It added, "These restrictions appear to be part of a broader tightening of state control over online communications in Russia, which has already seen the blocking or disruption of other messaging services. These moves have forced millions of users to rely on circumvention tools to communicate freely – or to use less secure, state-sponsored alternatives."
Russia's state-controlled Max, an alternative to Telegram
Max is a state-run alternative to Telegram in Russia. CNN report suggests that the Russian government now mandates that smartphone companies pre-install the app in mobile phones and tablets sold in the country. Max is similar to other social media apps, where users can message one another, send money, and even make audio and video calls.
The app was developed by VKontakte (VK), which Durov co-founded, before he sold his shares and left Russia in 2014. This came after Durov said that the Kremlin asked the site to hand over the data of Ukrainian users. VK is now state-owned.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time Russian authorities have targeted Telegram and that the country's quest to move its citizens from outside apps goes back nearly a decade.
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