AJ
Over the past year, Russia has slowed multiple social media platforms, including WhatsApp and Telegram, citing security fears, scamming, and the company’s inability to stick to Russian rules in relation to social media.
The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) “will continue to impose restrictions on Telegram,” which is done to “ensure compliance with Russian legislation,” wrote Kommersant, citing the agency.
“Russian legislation is still not being complied with, personal data are not protected, there are no real measures to combat fraud and the use of the messenger for criminal and terrorist purposes,” said Roskomnadzor press service.
“In this regard, by decision of the authorities, Roskomnadzor will continue to impose successive restrictions,” they added.
RBC had already cited several sources in an earlier report that noted Roskomnadzor had restricted Telegram, but at the time nothing had been confirmed by any of the officials.
Soon after the slowdown, Astra reported disruptions in the MAX messenger’s operation, citing screenshots from DownDetector, and other services also reported problems on the national messenger system.
Z-CHANNEL COMMENTS:
On February 10, multiple Z-channels reacted to the possible restriction of Telegram’s work by Roscomnadzor, with nationalist Yegor Holmogorov simply stating “bastards,” while other bloggers responded in detail.
“Unfortunately, we can’t disconnect Starlink for the Khoklams, but we can disconnect Telegram for the Russians, and since we can, why not?” wrote Fighterbomber.
Russian Neo-Nazi group DSHRG Rusich said: “We believe that this decision is another stupidity of just to ban everything, which will not give anything except irritation among the people,” having previously told their battalion not to use MAX on the front lines.
“Your stories have just finished me off, I can’t listen to them anymore – one story is more amazing than the other, just,” said propagandist Yevgeny Norin: “About some enemy propaganda, about terrorism – what are you talking about at all?”
Telegram channel Two Majors wrote: “Well, now the prospects for a cozy Telegram are clear – it’s a pity.”
FRONTLINE RESIDENTS:
“Telegram is the lives of our loved one,” Belgorod residents commented on Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov’s page, and they are massively protesting against switching to MAX after the slowdown of Telegram.
For residents of the border region, Telegram has long become a key source of operational information about shelling and drone attacks.
Gladkov noted against the intent of Roskomnadzor to impose consistent restrictions on Telegram, urging residents to sign up to the MAX messenger “for receiving information related to security.”
Governor Gladkov did admit that Telegram had become the main channel of emergency notification in the conditions of a “rapidly changing operational situation,” and expressed fears that the slowdown could affect the timely informing of the population.
“I’m worried that the slowdown of the Telegram channel could affect the delivery of operational information to you in case the situation worsens, and we are a frontline region,” Gladkov said.
However, many residents aren’t ready to switch to MAX, and they say that Telegram is a vital resource on which the safety of civilians depend.
“Telegram is not about entertainment, but about lives saved, both civilian and military,” one resident wrote: “You, more than anyone, know that our entire long-suffering border region today lives on the timely notification of danger.
“At the heart of the notification, everyone relies on Telegram – quickly, accessibly, reliably! Telegram today is the lives of our loved ones.”
Residents complained that MAX was unstable, messages would arrive delayed or do not load at all with a weak connection, as others claimed that during the missile danger, the sirens in their areas did not work, and the notifications in Telegram came already during the explosions, while MAX did not work at all.
“MAX works very poorly in the border region, it’s vital for us, as drones are constantly flying, but if the connection is really bad, it doesn’t even load messages,” a resident told local Belgorod news channel Pepel.
Residents urged the governor to continue to publish operational information precisely in Telegram, because people refused to install MAX and opposed the imposition of a single platform.
According to the residents of Belgorod, MAX is being heavily promoted because the government has no power over the content published to Telegram.
“We are against MAX – we have already been deprived of the freedom to choose where to receive information and where to share it – Instagram, Viber, WhatsApp, TikTok, and now Telegram.”
According to other sources, the lack of Russian-speaking news on Telegram could also lead to an overload of propaganda and hurtful posts against the Russians, so it would be easier to keep Telegram running so that there was a balance in the algorithms.
