Since January, users across Russia have reported performance issues with Telegram, including slow media downloads. Though Roskomnadzor initially denied slowing down the platformthe number of reports of disruptions has increased dramatically since Monday.
In a statement to the RBK website, Roskomnadzor blamed Telegram lack of effective actions against fraud and the alleged use of the application by criminal and terrorist groups, as well as insufficient protection of user data.
“In connection with Roskomnadzor will continue to introduce appropriate restrictions“to ensure compliance with Russian law and protect citizens,” the agency said in a statement.
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Earlier, RBK sources reported that Roskomnadzor was slowing down download speeds on Telegram. Telegram itself has not yet responded to our request for comment.
“Video messages are not loading at all for me today”
The scope of the new restrictions was not immediately clear. Failure monitoring websites recorded an increase in the number of reports, although some users claimed they had no problems.
Several Russians told The Moscow Times that Telegram worked normally, even without using a virtual private network (VPN) that many use to bypass internet restrictions.
Others reported that voice and video messages often failed to load, sometimes even when VPN was turned on. — Today, video messages are not loading for me at all, said a resident of St. Petersburg who asked to remain anonymous.
Woman with smartphone on Red Square in Moscow. Illustrative photoOleg Elkov / Shutterstock
— Files and photos load very slowly, and channels open with significant delays — reported a woman from Moscow, also asking for anonymity. She added that her friends reported similar problems.
Several users told The Moscow Times that the problems concerned mainly the Telegram mobile applicationwhile the desktop version worked normally.
It appears that the text messages remained undisturbed, and a the difficulties mainly concerned multimedia contentsuch as voicemails, videos and photos.
Restrictions under the pretext of fighting fraudsters
For many people in Russia, these restrictions are more than a minor inconvenience. Telegram is widely used for business contacts and document exchanges – as is Slack in other countries – and slowdowns are already disrupting some users' daily work.
In August, Roskomnadzor began slow down voice and video calls on WhatsApp and Telegram as part of what he called an anti-fraud initiative, which was criticized by both companies.
Headquarters of Roskomnadzor. Illustrative photoklevo / Shutterstock
The Kremlin itself stated that Blocking foreign messengers in the fight against fraud does not make much sensebecause fraudsters use various tools available to them. However, the Russian security services claim that Ukraine uses both messengers to recruit people for subversive activities and attacks in Russia.
The government app lags behind WhatsApp and Telegram
Roskomnadzor's restrictions on WhatsApp and Telegram come at a time when authorities are pressuring Russians to download and use the government messenger Max, to which more and more pro-government channels have been moving since last summer.
In December, Max achieved the result 70 million users per monthmaking it the third most used application in Russia. However, it still lags behind WhatsApp and Telegram, which had 94.5 and 93.6 million monthly users, respectively, in December.
Some Max users reported crashes on Tuesday after the announcement of new restrictions for Telegram, however the company maintains that the app is functioning normally.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
