BBS: TELESC.NET.BR
Assunto: Telegram CEO condemns new Russian restrictions
De: Mike Powell
Data: Wed, 11 Feb 2026 15:11:48 -0500
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Telegram CEO condemns new restrictions in Russia as citizens turn to VPNs to
bypass the blocks
By Chiara Castro published 4 hours ago
Pavel Durov vows to keep fighting Russian censors "no matter the pressure"
Telegram CEO publicly condemns app restrictions in Russia
Pavel Durov vows to keep fighting Russian censors "no matter the pressure"
Russian AmneziaVPN confirms a "huge wave of new users"
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has strongly criticized the Kremlin's decision to
restrict access to the messaging app in Russia, promising to resist government
government censors "no matter the pressure."
The statement followed a surge in reports from Russian users experiencing
significant slowdowns and connectivity issues. The disruption was officially
confirmed by Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, which announced
the implementation of "consistent restrictions" on the platform.
In a statement reported by RBC, the agency said the measures were designed "to
ensure compliance with Russian legislation and ensure the protection of
citizens."
The regulator accused Telegram of failing to safeguard personal data or take
adequate steps to combat criminal activity on the service. However, Durov has
dismissed these justifications saying it represents an "authoritarian move."
"Russia is restricting access to Telegram to force its citizens onto a
state-controlled app built for surveillance and political censorship," Durov
wrote on X. He was referring to the Kremlin-backed MAX messaging app, a
platform that experts have previously flagged for its "enormous surveillance
potential."
Durov also compared the ongoing Russian restrictions on Telegram to those
enforced in Iran eight years ago, arguing that a state-imposed ban won't stop
citizens from using the app.
"Iran tried the same strategy - and failed," notes Durov, adding that many
Iranians still use the app.
The shift toward VPN services and other censorship circumvention tools is
already underway in Russia. AmneziaVPN, a provider known for its
censorship-resistant tools, confirmed to TechRadar that it is seeing a "huge
wave of new users" for its free service, AmneziaFree.
A sign of expanding censorship
The latest restrictions were not unexpected for those monitoring the country's
evolving censorship apparatus.
Mazai Banzaev, founder and architect of Amnezia VPN, told TechRadar: "Amnezia
had been preparing for possible Telegram blocks for about six months," adding
that he was "surprised it happened this late."
Banzaev argues that the disruptions are a clear indicator of the Kremlin's
long-term goal: the decoupling of Russia from the global internet.
"Technically, Roskomnadzor seems ready to block all major global services and
cloud platforms, including Google, Amazon, Cloudflare, and others," he warned.
VPNs are also a target
As more Russians turn to VPNs to evade these restrictions and maintain access
to Telegram, using a VPN in the country is becoming increasingly difficult.
Russia's battle against circumvention tools has entered a new phase,
characterized by massive investment in AI-powered Deep Packet Inspection (DPI)
and a tightening legislative environment.
While Telegram offers its own built-in proxy system, Banzaev argues that using
a high-quality VPN remains the most practical solution for the average user.
"In reality, only a small number of users are ready to manually set up proxies
and deal with Telegram's settings," he said.
Because the effectiveness of specific protocols can fluctuate daily, it's worth
downloading several apps so you can switch between them if disruption occurs.
https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/telegram-ceo-condemns-new-re
strictions-in-russia-as-citizens-turn-to-vpns-to-bypass-the-blocks
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* Origin: Capitol City Online (1:2320/105)
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