Marie Struthers, the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director at Amnesty International, criticized Russian authorities for blocking and slowing down the Telegram messaging app, undermining people’s ability to communicate freely and securely.
Amnesty International criticized the restriction, stating:
These restrictions appear to be part of a broader tightening of state control over online communication in Russia, which has already seen the blocking or disruption of other messaging services. These moves have forced millions of users to rely on circumvention tools to communicate freely – or to less secure, state-sponsored alternatives.
On 10 February, Roskomnadzor, a Russian authority, declared that it would begin slowing down the Telegram messenger within Russia, accusing it of not taking effective measures against fraud and alleging that the app was used by criminal and terrorist groups. To address these concerns, the agency revealed plans for ongoing restrictions. After the Telegram messaging app slowed down, over 11,000 complaints were reported, including issues with notifications, crashes on mobile devices, and overall app failures, according to Downdetector.
Restrictions on messaging apps in Russia have been in place since 2018. In 2018, the agency temporarily blocked Telegram due to the parent company’s refusal to provide encryption keys to security services. Furthermore, Roskomnadzor banned Telegram and WhatsApp in 2025, arguing that their primary voice services were used for fraud and other criminal activity. In June 2025, students were fined by the Russian government for allegedly “discrediting armed forces and promoting LGBTQA+ propaganda” on Telegram chat posts.
The agency clarified its stance on the restriction, stating that it will only work with internet resources that respect the country’s laws and citizens. It highlighted that “these rules are open and the same for everyone: hosting servers within Russia, ensuring the protection of personal data, protecting citizens from fraud, and creating conditions for preventing extremism and terrorism.”
