Telegram app agrees to register in Russia, but not to share private data

Pavel Durov, founder of the Telegram messaging app, agreed on Wednesday for his firm to be registered in Russia after coming under pressure from the authorities to do so, but said it would not share confidential user data with anyone.

Russia’s communications regulator Roskomnadzor had threatened to block the messaging app if it did not hand over information needed to put the app on an official government list of information distributors.

Telegram had refused to comply because it feared that it would undermine the privacy of its more than 6 million Russian users. But Roskomnadzor said on Wednesday that Telegram had now presented all the required data.