MOSCOW: Russia stepped up its bid to subjugate the Telegram messaging app on Tuesday (Feb 24), announcing in a state-run newspaper that it was investigating billionaire founder Pavel Durov as part of a criminal case involving accusations of terrorism.
Russia is trying to block Telegram, which has more than 1 billion active users and is used very widely in both Russia and Ukraine – and steer tens of millions of Russians towards a state-backed alternative known as MAX.
Telegram did not respond to a request for comment and Durov could not be reached, although the app has repeatedly denied Russia’s allegations that it is a haven for criminal activity and compromised by both Western and Ukrainian intelligence.
Russia’s official state newspaper, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, published a 1,500-word article which it said was “based on materials from Russia’s Federal Security Service” that accused the app of being “a tool for hybrid threats”.
“The actions of the head of Telegram, P. Durov, are being investigated as part of a criminal case on the grounds of a crime under Part 1.1 of Article 205.1 (assistance to terrorist activities) of the Criminal Code of Russia,” it said.
The newspaper said Telegram had become a tool of the NATO military alliance and Ukraine, and was used widely by radicals and terrorists and posed a “threat to our society”.
Four years into the deadliest war in Europe since World War Two, Russia is expanding its already significant repressive powers and crafting a more sophisticated digital surveillance state along the lines of China.
RUSSIAN CLAMPDOWN
Russian officials say the clampdown on virtual private networks (VPNs) and messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram is essential for security as Moscow faces deadly attacks deep inside Russia from Ukraine and alleged attempts at sabotage by Western intelligence agencies.
Western intelligence agencies, in turn, say they are facing the biggest Russian threat since the Cold War, and say they are trying to recruit agents in Russia, but deny trying to destroy Russia.
Moscow has been tightening control over Telegram for months, first slowing down voice and video calls and then briefly blocking the app for some users earlier this month, though it was still working for Reuters reporters in Moscow on Tuesday.
Since its creation in 2013, Telegram has become one of the most important sources of news inside Russia, including for soldiers on both sides of the 1,200km front line in eastern Ukraine.
Discover more from PressNewsAgency
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.