Earlier today, unofficial sources reported is knownRussian authorities have begun restricting the operation of the Telegram messenger in the country. Now, Roskomnadzor, the agency responsible for such measures, has confirmed the introduction of restrictions, explained the reason for their actions, and explained how long they will last.
The agency stated that it had indeed begun restricting the most popular communication tool among Russians, citing Telegram's failure to comply with Russian laws and combat fraud on the platform. The regulator believes that the restrictions should prompt the messenger to address its violations; until this happens, Roskomnadzor will continue to hinder its normal operation in Russia.
"Russian legislation remains unenforced, personal data remains unprotected, and there are no effective measures to combat fraud and the use of the messenger for criminal and terrorist purposes. Therefore, by decision of the authorized bodies, Roskomnadzor will continue to impose consistent restrictions to ensure compliance with Russian legislation and ensure the protection of citizens," Roskomnadzor stated.
"We are absolutely open to working with any domestic and foreign internet resources. But on one very simple condition: respect for Russia and its citizens, and compliance with the laws of the Russian Federation," the agency added.
RecallYesterday, Russians from across the country began complaining en masse about problems with Telegram. This wasn't a short-term spike in reports of problems, as is typical with outages on the messenger's end, but a sustained stream that hasn't stopped. Moreover, the number of complaints has increased today, indirectly confirming the presence of restrictive measures, as no problems with Telegram have been reported abroad, particularly in Belarus.
The State Duma also commented on the information about Telegram's slowdown. Alexander Yushchenko, deputy chairman of the Information Policy Committee, told TVC that the committee had not discussed slowing down the messenger. He added that Roskomnadzor may impose measures for violations of laws.
State Duma deputy Andrei Svintsov, in turn, told Ostrogozhno Novosti that the blocking of Telegram could be due to the messenger "not fully complying with the requirements" of Russian law. He claimed that the messenger interacts with Roskomnadzor, but does so "in a half-hearted manner," meaning "Telegram is so great, and Russia is so poor."
Sources:
Source: 3dnews.ru
