Russia restricts Telegram access amid fines and legal pressure

Telegram is facing new restrictions and fines for hosting content that the authorities object to. According to reports, Russia’s communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, planned to limit access to Telegram from today.

Telegram users across Russia reported widespread disruptions for a second consecutive day. Complaints on outage-monitoring services surged to around 15,000, far above normal levels, with most users reporting problems downloading photos and videos. Some users in Russia say the app is still working but appears to be slow.

Regulator cites crime prevention as basis for ongoing restrictions

Roskomnadzor said it will continue to impose consistent restrictions on the Telegram messenger “in order to enforce Russian legislation and ensure the protection of citizens.” According to Roskomnadzor, the restrictions were introduced to “counter criminals”. 

In Russia, the app, founded by Russian-born entrepreneur Pavel Durov, is used publicly and privately far and wide. Newsmakers of all kinds, including the Kremlin, courts, media, celebrities, and the exiled opposition, use the app to instantly distribute information to large audiences.

State news agency RIA said Telegram faces fines of up to 64 million roubles ($830,000) in eight upcoming court hearings. All of them are related to alleged failures to remove information required by Russian law.

Russia began limiting Telegram last August. The state accused the app of refusing to share information with law enforcement in fraud and terrorism cases. These limits included restricting some features, such as voice and video calls, on the service co-founded by Russian billionaire Pavel Durov.

Meanwhile, as restrictions expand, many Russians increasingly rely on virtual private networks (VPN) to bypass state censorship and access blocked or throttled services.

Outside Russia, Telegram is facing legal and regulatory action in several countries as of early 2026. In France, authorities have investigated Telegram founder Pavel Durov over alleged failures to curb criminal and extremist content on the platform.

In Malaysia, a case was filed by the authorities, referring to Telegram as violating communications legislation by hosting harmful content. In Australia, Telegram had some bad fights with the eSafety Commissioner pertaining to compliance with online safety reporting.

Additionally, the platform is faced with concerns about copyright infringement and the responsibility of content moderation. This is similar to issues within other messaging applications throughout the European Union, as well as in Spain.

In response, Durov has consistently denied wrongdoing. He has defended Telegram’s moderation as compliant with applicable laws. He cast legal actions against him as misguided attempts to hold a platform owner responsible for the actions of third parties. According to him, Telegram prioritizes user privacy and free speech.

Russia pushes an app model similar to China’s WeChat

As it has blocked access to foreign messaging apps, the government has been pushing people to use Max, a state-run “super-app” that looks a lot like China’s WeChat. Max does more than just chat. It hosts government services, lets users store documents, and allows banking and other public and private services. However,  human rights groups have warned that the platform could enable mass surveillance.

As reported by Cryptopolitan, Russia moved toward a full ban on the messaging app WhatsApp after months of service degradation. The regulator alleged that the Meta Platforms Inc.-owned app was being used to organize terrorist attacks and recruit perpetrators in Russia, in violation of the law.

Russian authorities have also banned US-owned social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, and X, and have limited access to YouTube as part of a crackdown on services since President Vladimir Putin ordered the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In December, it also blocked Apple’s video-calling app FaceTime. Those restrictions remained in place.

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