The founder of Telegram has once again commented on the situation regarding the slowdown of the messenger in Russia:
Russia is imposing restrictions on access to Telegram, seeking to force users to switch to a state-controlled application designed for surveillance and political repression.
Eight years ago, Iran took similar steps and ultimately failed. By banning Telegram under absurd pretexts, it tried to coerce people into choosing the state alternative.
Nevertheless, despite censorship, most Iranians continue to use Telegram and bypass restrictions, preferring it over applications that involve surveillance.
Restricting citizens' rights is the wrong path. Telegram continues to advocate for freedom of speech and the protection of personal information, despite any pressure.
Eight years ago, Iran took similar steps and ultimately failed. By banning Telegram under absurd pretexts, it tried to coerce people into choosing the state alternative.
Nevertheless, despite censorship, most Iranians continue to use Telegram and bypass restrictions, preferring it over applications that involve surveillance.
Restricting citizens' rights is the wrong path. Telegram continues to advocate for freedom of speech and the protection of personal information, despite any pressure.
On February 10, Russian authorities began to impose restrictions on access to Telegram, which is one of the most popular messengers in the country. Roskomnadzor, the communications oversight body, did not provide details but stated that it "will continue a series of restrictions to ensure compliance with Russian legislation and protect citizens." Users across Russia have reported widespread service outages in recent days.
In August 2025, Roskomnadzor restricted the voice and video call functions in Telegram and WhatsApp, claiming that these services were being used for fraudulent activities and crimes. In October, "partial restrictions" were introduced for both platforms, and in December, the distribution of media messages in WhatsApp slowed down. A number of other messengers, such as Signal, were completely blocked in August 2024, and Viber in December of the same year. In 2018, Telegram was temporarily banned by court decision due to the refusal of its parent company to provide security forces with encryption keys.
Finally, it is worth noting that Russian authorities are actively promoting the domestically developed messenger MAX.
