Russia’s media watchdog has confirmed restricting the popular social media app, citing its non-compliance with the law
A senior Russian lawmaker slammed officials who restricted Telegram in the country as “idiots” and “scoundrels” on Wednesday. Sergey Mironov said Russian soldiers on the battlefield need the messenger to talk to their loved ones.
Users across Russia reported crippling issues with the messenger’s video and photo sending functionality over the weekend. On Tuesday, Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor confirmed that it took action against Telegram for not complying with Russian laws.
Mironov, who heads the party ‘A Just Russia’ in parliament, argued that the slowdown is affecting Russian soldiers and volunteers who bring supplies to the front lines.
“These guys are shedding blood, and this is their only way to communicate with their families and friends. What are you doing, idiots?” he said in a video address published on his Telegram channel on Wednesday. “Those who are doing this are scoundrels.”
He argued that Russia was shooting itself in the foot with the slowdown.
If Telegram’s owner doesn’t comply with Russian law, that’s no reason to deprive Russian citizens of modern and accessible means of communication, nor is it a reason to undermine Russia’s defense capability or economy. Punish those responsible!
Earlier in the day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Moscow is in contact with the firm’s representatives, but stressed that further action would be taken if it did not begin following the law.
Russian authorities have long accused Telegram and WhatsApp of systematically refusing to cooperate with local law enforcement on fraud and terrorism. Ukrainian intelligence services have frequently leveraged the messengers to defraud, blackmail, and recruit Russian nationals into committing sabotage missions, sometimes unknowingly becoming suicide bombers, they argue.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has expressed dissatisfaction with the app slowdown, but did not address his company’s non-compliance with Russian law and made no offers to remedy the situation.
Russian officials have increasingly urged citizens to move to the new domestically developed MAX messenger as a secure alternative to foreign-based apps to help fight online fraud. Mironov has argued that people should be allowed to choose their preferred platform.
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