Pavel Durov comments for the first time on the Telegram ban in Russia

Tengrinews.kz – Telegram owner Pavel Durov has for the first time commented on the ban of the app in Russia.
Restricting citizens’ freedom is never the right solution, he stated.

“Russia is restricting access to Telegram in an attempt to force its citizens to switch to a state-controlled app built for surveillance and political censorship,” Durov wrote on his Telegram channel.

Russia’s Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) has decided to slow down the operation of Telegram. The watchdog insists that such measures are necessary to combat fraud, reports RBC.
Roskomnadzor stated that the agency will continue to “introduce consistent restrictions” on the messenger, since it “still does not comply with Russian law”.
The Russian authorities also justify their actions by saying that Telegram and WhatsApp are not complying with the so-called “IT companies landing law”, meaning they do not store user data in Russia.
Experts note that in this way the authorities are likely forcing Russian residents to switch to the messenger Max, which the government declared a “national messenger” in July.

“Restricting citizens’ freedom is never the right answer. Telegram stands for freedom of speech and privacy, no matter the pressure,” Durov wrote.

Durov recalled that in 2018 a court in Iran decided to ban the use of Telegram in the country.

“8 years ago, Iran tried the same strategy — and failed. It banned Telegram on made-up pretexts, trying to force people onto a state-run alternative. Despite the ban, most Iranians still use Telegram (bypassing censorship) and prefer it to surveilled apps,” he added.

Let us recall that at the end of September 2025, Pavel Durov stated that the company would provide authorities with the IP addresses and phone numbers of those who violate the platform’s rules. Later, Durov added that Telegram had been handing over personal data since 2018.