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Russian telecom watchdog to include Telegram in register

Telegram has provided all the necessary data, according to the watchdog

MOSCOW, June 28. /TASS/. Telegram messenger has provided all the necessary data to be included in the register of information distributors, press service of Russian telecom watchdog Roskomnadzor told TASS, citing the words of the department’s Head Alexander Zharov.

"At this stage, Telegram messenger has provided all the data required by law to be included in the register of. In the near future, the messenger will be included in this register," Zharov said.

He specified that this way Telegram began working in the legal field of the Russian Federation. "I am confident that the rest of the international communication services should do the same. As for the Russian laws, they are binding for all companies operating in the Russian jurisdiction," he said.

Pavel Durov said earlier he agreed to include the messenger in the information register of the Russian telecom watchdog Roskomnadzor. However, Durov noted that Telegram will not provide access to the correspondence of users fulfilling the requirements of the package of anti-terrorist laws (the so-called "Yarovaya Package").

"Telegram developer’s registration data is not a secret and is available to anyone in open sources. If this is the true extent of the regulator’s wishes, I have no objections to using this data to register Telegram Messenger LLP in the register of information distributors," he said.

"However, we will not comply with unconstitutional and technically impossible Yarovaya Package laws - as well as with other laws incompatible with protection of privacy and Telegram's privacy policy," Durov said.

Durov noted that the company does not incur any additional obligations, adding that Telegram will cooperate with the Russian regulator at the same level as with regulators in other countries. Durov explained that this includes "working together to remove public materials related to the propaganda of terrorism, drugs, violence and child pornography, as well as working to curb the distribution of spam."

Head of Roskomnadzor Alexander Zharov on June 23 personally appealed to Pavel Durov with a request to provide data on the company managing the messenger - this is necessary under Russian law to operate in Russia. If Telegram failed to provide the required data within the specified time, the messenger would be blocked in Russia until the information is provided.

In response, Durov stated that the requirements of Roskomnadzor to provide information to the department contradicted the Constitution of the Russian Federation in terms of privacy of correspondence.