Telegram blocked in Russia. Roskomnadzor forces you to switch to the Max application

Roskomnadzor, the Russian telecommunications regulator, announced on Tuesday continued restrictions on one of the most popular messengers in Russia – Telegram. The decision enters into force on February 10 and was made almost half a year after the “partial” limitation of WhatsApp and Telegram announced in August 2025.

“Russian law is still not enforced, (…) no real actions are being taken to combat fraud and the use of instant messaging for criminal and terrorist purposes,” Roskomnadzor said in a statement quoted by Russian media.

For this reason (…) Roskomnadzor will continue to introduce gradual restrictions (concerning Telegram – PAP) to ensure compliance with Russian law and protection of citizens – the document added.

“Russia is restricting access to Telegram as it tries to force its citizens to switch to the state-controlled applicationcreated for the purpose of surveillance and political censorship,” said Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov in this messenger.

He stressed that limiting citizens' freedom is never an appropriate response. “Telegram stands for freedom of speech and privacy, regardless of any pressure,” he added.

Russian media, citing data from the Downdetector website that monitors the activity of online services, reported on Tuesday that about 10,000 were registered in the last 24 hours. complaints about the functioning of the messenger. In turn, the Russian website Sboj.rf, which tracks website failures, reported that the largest number of reports – about 30 percent. – concerned Moscow.

The submissions included: problems with launching the application, sending messages and loading photos and videos, Russian media reported.

Owned by Pavel Durov – a Russian who also has French citizenship – Telegram faces a fine of up to PLN 830,000. dollars in connection with eight upcoming court hearings. The media reported that this was the result of a refusal to remove prohibited content and failure to comply with self-control regulations.

Founded in 2013, Telegram is the second most popular messaging app in Russia, after Meta's WhatsApp.

Roskomnadzor began gradually blocking the operation of both messengers on August 13 last year, accusing them of refusing to provide information to law enforcement agencies in cases related to fraud and terrorism. In turn, WhatsApp has been almost completely blocked in Russia since January this year. Authorities in Moscow believe that Meta is not doing enough to prevent the app from being used for terrorist purposes. Moreover, Apple's FaceTime app was also blocked across Russia in December.

Last year, the Max application was launched in Russia, created by the Kremlin-controlled company VK (Vkontakte) on the orders of the country's leader, Vladimir Putin.. According to Reuters, this messenger is criticized for being potentially used for espionage. These allegations are described as false by the Russian media.

From September 1, 2025, in accordance with the decision of the Russian authorities, the Max service is to be pre-installed on all tablets, smartphones, computers and Smart TVs sold in Russia. (PAP)

yb/ mw/ rtt/