Dagestan, Chechnya block Telegram messaging app
Authorities in Russia’s Dagestan and Chechnya have blocked the Telegram messaging app, Russian state media TASS reported on March 8.
The ban was implemented in response to “security concerns,” as authorities warned that groups could use the app to coordinate unrest.
Dagestan's Minister of Digitalisation, Yuri Gamzatov, pointed to the October 2023 antisemitic riot at Makhachkala airport as an example of Telegram being used to organize violence.
Anton Nemkin, a member of Russia’s State Duma, argued that Telegram’s content moderation is weak, allowing extremist material to spread unchecked.
The Russian government has been escalating attempts to control online communications, blocking the messaging app Signal, reportedly planning to block WhatsApp, and curbing access to YouTube.
"Telegram needs to reconsider its approach to content moderation,” he said.
Gamzatov suggested that the app could be unblocked in the future, but encouraged users to switch to other platforms.
Dagestan and Chechnya have seen a number of terrorist attacks by members of the Islamic State as well as clashes with security forces over the past years.
Both republics are located in the North Caucasus region of Russia.
The app, founded by Russian businessman Pavel Durov, was banned from being used by officials of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada on their work devices in October 2024.
Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said in an interview published on Sept. 7 that the app is "harmful" and a "threat to our national security," following the arrest of Durov in France.
He faces 12 charges from the French authorities, including crimes related to child pornography, drug trafficking, money laundering, and withholding crucial information from investigators.
Martin Fornusek
