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Russia’s communications ministry searching for alternative ways to block Telegram

On April 13, Moscow’s Tagansky District Court ruled to block access to Telegram in Russia

© REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

KHANTY-MANSIYSK, June 5. /TASS/. Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media is searching for new options for blocking the Telegram messenger, the ministry’s head Konstantin Noskov said on Tuesday.

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Court decision on Telegram messenger blocking comes into force

On April 13, Moscow’s Tagansky District Court ruled to block access to Telegram in Russia over its failure to provide decryption keys for messages to the Federal Security Service. On April 16, the Russian media watchdog received the court’s ruling on restricting access to Telegram’s products. On the same day, mobile operators began to take steps to block Telegram in compliance with the court’s decision.

"The ministry and Roscomnadzor (telecom watchdog) are implementing the court’s ruling, and we are constantly looking for new technical means to fulfill this decision," Noskov told the 10th international IT forum with the participation BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

In late May, head of Russia’s telecom and media watchdog Alexander Zharov told TASS as many as 15-40% of users had issues with the Telegram messaging service, while about 25% of advertisements had been withdrawn from Telegram since it was banned in Russia. However, Telegram has not been fully banned in Russia, he said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

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