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Social media platform Telegram is facing a fine from the Russian government after the nation said it failed to remove anti-Russian government and “extremist” content from its platform.
Moscow’s Tagansky District Court slapped Telegram Messenger Inc. with a ₽7 million (roughly $136,400) fine for failing to remove content that called for protests and terrorist activity to overthrow the Russian government.
According to reports, some of the content requested people to aid Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion, while another urged people to be violent on Russian railway transport.
According to the Russian News Agency TASS, citing court documents, Telegram had the responsibility of removing the content.
“Telegram Messenger Inc., being the owner of an information resource, failed to remove information or channels containing calls for extremist activity,” said TASS.
TASS also said that social networks are obliged to “detect and block” information Russia deems banned under legislation introduced on 1 February 2021.
Telegram is yet to publicly acknowledge the bill or respond to media requests for comment.
Telegram is a social media and messaging platform founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov. While based in Dubai, the platform is widely used in Russia and other former Soviet republic countries, with almost 1 billion users.
In light of its conflict with Russia, Ukraine banned Telegram in 2024, citing national security concerns.
❗️ NCSCC has decided to restrict the use of #Telegram in government agencies, military formations, and critical infrastructure facilities.
— НКЦК (@ncsccUA) September 20, 2024
Read more: https://t.co/o2zAGbAmUD pic.twitter.com/zqHKFqds4L
One of the main concerns had to do with Telegram being susceptible to Russian espionage. Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov presented evidence that said Russian intelligence can use the platform to collect user data as well as access messages, including those that have been deleted.
“I have always advocated freedom of speech, but the issue of Telegram is not a matter of freedom of speech; it is a matter of national security,” said Budanov.
Additionally, the use of Telegram as a weapon by Russian forces was discussed, with state agency threat actors and forces using the platform to launch cyber attacks, distribute malware, and launch phishing campaigns.
What’s more, Telegram’s geolocation feature means that users can be tracked, providing Russia with critical information that would allow it to foresee an oncoming attack, monitor troop activity, and launch devastating attacks like missile strikes.
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