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Russia bans Facebook, BBC, Voice of America; Twitter and YouTube could be next

March 5, 2022

As it seeks to control the narrative about its war in Ukraine, Russia blocked access to Facebook today.  The Internet regulator Roskomnadzor justified its decision by alleged discriminations against Russian media and information resources. No fewer than 26 such cases have been recorded since October 2020, according to Roskomnadzor. The most recent cases concerned the Facebook accounts …

Russia bans Facebook, BBC, Voice of America; Twitter and YouTube could be next Read More

Russian users outraged by first official ads appearing in Telegram

November 10, 2021

The minimum amount to be deposited to Telegram’s new advertising cabinet is €2 million. But instead of global brands, the first ad messages promoted channels about cryptocurrencies, random news and stock exchange trading courses.  The Russian-speaking audience and channel owners turned out to be dissatisfied and even outraged about the “innovation” – in their opinion, the ads, on the contrary, look …

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Amid explosive user growth, Telegram considers raising more than $1 billion in debt

January 18, 2021

Telegram now serves more than 500 million active users, its Russian co-founder Pavel Durov announced Tuesday. Twenty-five million new users joined  the platform in the previous 72 hours alone. “We’ve had surges of downloads before, throughout our seven-year history of protecting user privacy, but this time is different,” Durov emphasized. The surge comes as rival platform WhatsApp changed its …

Amid explosive user growth, Telegram considers raising more than $1 billion in debt Read More

Telegram to launch pay-for services in 2021

January 6, 2021

Encrypted messaging app Telegram will launch pay-for services in 2021, its Russian-born founder Pavel Durov said Wednesday, as the growing company needed “at least a few hundred million dollars per year.” “Telegram will begin to generate revenue, starting next year,” Durov said in a statement. “We will be able to launch countless new features and welcome billions …

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Telegram and Russia seek rapprochement amid attack on Apple

July 15, 2020

It is only one month since Russia unexpectedly lifted its ban on messaging service Telegram. But the company’s vice president this week appeared alongside Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin — and proposed a crusade against US tech giants Apple and Google.  Mishustin took part in a panel discussion with IT industry executives near the city …

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After failing to enforce ban, Russia unblocks Telegram

June 18, 2020

Roskomnadzor, the Russian Internet and telecom authority, announced today that it is lifting restrictions on access to Telegram. The regulator cited “Telegram’s readiness to combat terrorism and extremism” and referred to an agreement with the federal prosecutors. Earlier this month, as reported by Meduza, Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov urged the authorities to unblock Telegram and let its …

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Illegal copies on Telegram account for more than half of Russia’s book market, claims industry association

February 9, 2020

Some 200 Telegram channels distribute illegal copies of books, accounting for a total audience is 2 million people. This estimate was provided by according to Maxim Ryabyko, Head of the Russian Association of Internet Rights Protection (AZAPI), in an exchange with business daily Vedomosti. Pavel Durov’s instant messenger is now one of the largest sources …

Illegal copies on Telegram account for more than half of Russia’s book market, claims industry association Read More

Market experts: More than a third of all phone calls in Russia are now made via messengers

September 19, 2019

Instant messengers are the most popular type of smartphone apps in Russia, says a new study by Deloitte cited by Kommersant. While Russians now tend to make online rather than traditional phone calls, 53 % of the study’s respondents say they’ve started using these Internet services more often in the past year. Evolutions in the …

Market experts: More than a third of all phone calls in Russia are now made via messengers Read More

Russian authorities bet on new equipment to enforce ban on Telegram

September 16, 2019

In the Siberian region of Tyumen, mobile operators are about to test special equipment to enforce the authorities’ ban on Telegram. As reported by Reuters, cited by the Russian media, this equipment has been provided by Roskomnadzor, the state telecom and Internet regulator.  The tests are to be conducted this month in real conditions, the …

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‘Comrade Major:’ Personal data of 3,000 “Navalny supporters” leaked by anonymous Telegram channel

August 17, 2019

On Friday, August 9, a day before a massive political protest at Sakharov Prospekt in Moscow, the Telegram channel ‘Comrade Major’ (@MayorFSB) posted an Excel spreadsheet containing thousands of fields with personal information and contact details of alleged opposition supporters. ‘Comrade Major’ presented the file as coming from “these idiots from [opposition leader] Navalny’s team,” but Navalny’s office …

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From next-gen message encryption to epic battles “for Internet freedom,” Telegram celebrates 6th anniversary

August 17, 2019

Launched six years ago, on August 14, 2013, Telegram has already ensured its place in history as one of the biggest tech success stories from Russia. The instant messenger quickly asserted itself as one of the world’s most popular messaging systems. Users appreciate its focus on security and speed, its convenient message editing function and end-to-end encrypted …

From next-gen message encryption to epic battles “for Internet freedom,” Telegram celebrates 6th anniversary Read More

One year after ban, Telegram still accessible from Russia with growing audience

April 29, 2019

One year after Russian authorities decided to block it, the instant messenger Telegram continues to be widely accessible from Russia. Almost half of Telegram users in Russia do need to use VPNs to access the service, according to Telegram Analytics; but the number of daily users of the service in Russia grew from 3.7 million …

One year after ban, Telegram still accessible from Russia with growing audience Read More

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