Moscow – Telegram, an important platform for public and private communications in Russia, will face further restrictions from authorities because it has failed to correct previous violations, the state communications watchdog said on Tuesday.
The watchdog, Roskomnadzor, began limiting voice and video calls via Telegram last August, when it took similar steps against Meta’s WhatsApp. In a further clampdown on foreign-based tech providers, it blocked Apple’s video-calling app FaceTime in December.
Telegram’s Russian-born founder, entrepreneur Pavel Durov, defended the app, saying it would remain committed to protecting freedom of speech and user privacy “no matter the pressure.”
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