Kremlin expresses regret over Telegram restrictions

The Kremlin has commented on the latest Russian restrictions on Telegram, expressing regret, mainly about what led to them, through its spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

In an interview with state media, the official representative of the Putin administration insisted the popular messenger must comply with Russia’s laws.

Meanwhile, some fear that Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s defiant statement on the matter may have already decided the future of the platform in the Russian Federation.

What happens with Telegram is a pity, according to Peskov

President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary blamed Telegram’s failure to abide by Russian law for the current restrictions on the messenger’s operations in Russia, describing the development as regrettable.

Speaking to the official TASS news agency, Dmitry Peskov stated:

“I see and read statements from Roskomnadzor that the decision was made to slow down Telegram because the company is not complying with Russian law. Well, it’s a pity that the company isn’t complying, but there is a law that must be followed.”

The Kremlin official was asked whether the Russian authorities will ultimately block the widely used messenger. In response, Peskov suggested it would be better if Telegram and other restricted services complied with legal requirements.

Russian users started complaining about interruptions in Telegram services on Monday. Russian media revealed the following day that the country’s telecom watchdog, known as Roskomnadzor (RKN), had decided to start restricting the messenger.

Over 11,000 complaints were registered within 24 hours, according to data compiled by Downdetector. Nearly a third of the users reported notification failures, over a quarter had issues with the mobile app, 22% saw general failures and 15% informed about website failures, TASS detailed.

The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media later confirmed its intentions to continue to impose “consistent restrictions” on the messenger until it complies with Russian legislation and ensures the “protection of citizens,” as quoted by RBC.

According to a report by the RIA Novosti news agency, Telegram faces fines totaling 64 million rubles (almost $830,000) in as many as eight upcoming court hearings. All of these financial penalties stem from alleged failures to remove certain content prohibited by Russian law.

Durov’s reaction said to decide the fate of Telegram in Russia

While Roskomnadzor also stated it remains open to working with both domestic and foreign internet platforms, provided they respect Russia and its citizens, what followed next may close that door for Telegram, according to some comments in the country.

On Tuesday, Telegram founder Pavel Durov issued a statement accusing Moscow of restricting access to his messenger in an attempt to force Russians to use a “state-controlled app built for surveillance and political censorship.”

Indeed, Russian authorities have been pushing a government-approved messaging service called Max at the expense of competitors like WhatsApp. In August, the RKN announced it’s limiting voice calls via both Meta’s app and Telegram, alleging they had become popular with fraudsters.

In his post, Durov recalled Iran’s “same” and “failed” strategy from a few years ago, when the Islamic Republic banned Telegram and tried to “force people onto a state-run alternative,” insisting:

“Despite the ban, most Iranians still use Telegram (bypassing censorship) and prefer it to surveilled apps. Restricting citizens’ freedom is never the right answer. Telegram stands for freedom of speech and privacy, no matter the pressure.”

According to Russian political consultant Dmitry Fetisov, Durov’s position can have serious consequences for Telegram amid shrinking room for compromise with officials in Moscow. He commented:

“With his statement, Durov effectively ‘dumped’ the Russian segment of Telegram.”

Nevertheless, he also noted there is more than a month between this week’s slowdown and the full blocking of Telegram, during which the parties could still reach some agreement, despite Durov making it clear he has no intention to negotiate.

Fetisov, who has previously followed Durov’s activities and Telegram’s presence in Russia, added that the Iran comparison insulted many in Russia’s current political system, which is unlikely to waver under public pressure and abandon its plan to block Telegram. The commentator added:

“And as bitter as this may sound for many, in this situation, Telegram’s fate is sealed by mid-March. Unless some more powerful factors intervene. We’ll see.”

According to Eldar Murtazin from the Mobile Research Group analytical agency, Telegram will seek ways to bypass Roskomnadzor’s blockade. He told the “Komsomolskaya Pravda” radio that the messenger had already demonstrated it would fight any blocking attempt in any country.

The analyst is convinced that Pavel Durov’s position hasn’t changed significantly since 2015, which means the standoff with Russian authorities will continue.

The tech entrepreneur, which holds dual French-Emirati citizenship, left his native Russia and his top executive post at VK more than a decade ago. At the time, he alleged the Russian social network had been taken over by allies of the Kremlin following his refusal to censor protestors in Russia and Ukraine. Once also founded by Durov as VKontakte, VK is now the developer of the Russian state-approved Max messenger.

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