Russian authorities have begun restricting access to the Telegram messaging application, causing widespread disruptions to its functionality across the country, according to user reports. The move, announced by Roskomnadzor, Russia’s communications watchdog, comes without detailed explanation but is framed as an effort to ensure “compliance with Russian law and ensure the protection of citizens.”
The restrictions represent a further escalation in Moscow’s efforts to control online communication, following limitations placed on voice and video calls on Telegram and WhatsApp in August 2025, citing concerns about fraud and criminal activity. Partial restrictions were applied to both platforms in October, and prior to that, messaging on WhatsApp was slowed in December. Signal and Viber were blocked entirely in August 2024 and December 2024, respectively. Telegram itself faced a temporary nationwide block in 2018 after a court order demanded the company provide encryption keys to security services.
Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, condemned the latest actions as a blunt instrument of digital repression. “As usual, Russian authorities are resorting to the bluntest instrument in their digital repression toolbox: censorship and obstruction under the guise of protecting people’s rights and interests,” Struthers said. “Blocking or slowing down Telegram has little to do with protecting people from crime or fraud online and much more to do with further restricting their ability to communicate freely, and safely.”
Amnesty International argues that the restrictions are part of a broader trend of tightening state control over online communications. This has prompted many Russian users to rely on circumvention tools to maintain free communication, or to switch to state-sponsored alternatives, raising concerns about security and privacy.
Concurrently, Russian authorities are actively promoting MAX, a domestically developed messaging application. Human rights groups and IT experts have voiced concerns regarding the security and privacy features of MAX, suggesting potential vulnerabilities and risks for users.
Struthers called for a shift in approach from Russian authorities, advocating for “lawful, transparent and proportionate measures that comply with international human rights obligations.” She emphasized that any restrictions on freedom of expression must be strictly necessary, implemented through the least intrusive means, and subject to independent oversight. “The Russian government should immediately reverse the restrictions on Telegram and other messaging and social media platforms and ensure that people in Russia can communicate freely, securely and without fear,” she stated.
Roskomnadzor has not provided a timeline for the lifting of the restrictions on Telegram, nor has it detailed the specific legal violations the platform is alleged to have committed. The agency stated it would “continue to impose consistent restrictions” without elaborating on the criteria for doing so.
