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Ukraine has announced a ban on the use of the Telegram app on devices used by state officials, as well as military personnel and key workers.
The decision was reached after a Ukrainian security agency presented evidence of Russia’s ability to spy on the platform.
The National Security and Defence Council confirmed the restrictions on Friday, after Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the GUR military intelligence body, issued the findings to the council.
However, the crackdown on Telegram will only apply to official devices, not personal phones, and especially not to ordinary citizens.
With reports of Russian state agencies being able to penetrate the instant messaging platform to access details on content and users, it validates long held suspicions in Ukraine that the platform poses a threat.
“I have always supported and continue to support freedom of speech, but the issue of Telegram is not a matter of freedom of speech, it is a matter of national security,” said Budanov in a statement.
Since the escalation of the conflict after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the app has increased in popularity and prominence on both sides, acting as an important medium for the spread of news and communication.
To date, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has used the app to publish regular updates and important messages, just like various other military and civic officials on their respective Telegram channels. Zelenskyy is also a sitting member of the security council.
Ukraine's National Coordination Center for Cybersecurity on September 20 banned the use of the Telegram messenger app for state officials, military personnel, and employees of key infrastructure, citing security issues. https://t.co/jhlfFXBFGs
— Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (@RFERL) September 20, 2024
Telegram Chief Durov and Russia
The Telemetrio database has indicated there are around 33,000 active Telegram channels in Ukraine, with 75% of Ukrainians using the site for communication and the vast majority viewing it as a crucial source of information.
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France last month, following allegations of facilitating illicit activity on the platform. Durov and Telegram were accused of insufficient moderation and a failure to liaise with law authorities.
The flamboyant tech mogul departed Russia in 2014 in a dispute with authorities after declining to close opposition groups on his VK social media platform, which he later sold. There have been subsequent wrangles with Russia over Telegram encryption data, while the U.S. has also targeted the app.
Durov is ordinarily resident in Dubai where Telegram’s development team is based. He still holds Russian nationality as well as passports from France and the United Arab Emirates.
