Overview
- State newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta, citing FSB materials, says Durov is being investigated under Article 205.1 for assisting terrorist activity, a charge that can carry up to 15 years in prison.
- Pavel Durov said Russia has opened a case against him and accused authorities of fabricating pretexts to curb privacy and free speech on Telegram.
- Roskomnadzor has throttled Telegram features, including voice and video calls, as access grows more difficult without VPNs and regulators promote the state-backed MAX platform criticized for lacking end-to-end encryption.
- FSB-linked reports allege Telegram is exploited by NATO and Ukrainian intelligence and by radicals, and claim foreign services harvest data from Russian soldiers using the app.
- Critics, including pro-Kremlin figures and regional officials, warn curbs could disrupt frontline communications and public safety alerts even as the Kremlin insists the measures address security violations.