Authorities in two Russian regions have blocked the Telegram messenger due to concerns that the app could be exploited by adversaries, according to a regional digital development minister cited by the TASS state news agency on Saturday. Dagestan and Chechnya, predominantly Muslim regions in southern Russia, have been hotspots of militant Islamist activity.
Yuri Gamzatov, the digital development minister of Dagestan, stated, "It (Telegram) is often used by enemies, an example of which is the riots at the Makhachkala airport," clarifying that the decision to prohibit the messenger was made at the federal level.
The unrest in Dagestan in October 2023, triggered by an anti-Israel riot, saw protesters attempting to attack passengers from Israel at the airport. Despite no passengers being harmed, authorities have prosecuted numerous individuals over the incident, fueled by calls for antisemitic violence on local Telegram channels.
Telegram, established by Russian-born Pavel Durov and based in Dubai, boasts nearly 1 billion users and enjoys widespread usage in Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet republics. The platform has faced challenges in Russia before and has resisted previous demands to surrender user data. Durov is now under investigation in France regarding alleged connections to organized crime on the app.
Although Gamzatov suggested the potential unblocking of Telegram in the future, he urged users to migrate to alternative messengers in the interim. Telegram has not yet commented on the restrictions imposed in Russia.