"Telegram stands for freedom of speech and privacy": Telegram CEO comments on slowdown in Russia

Pavel Durov, the founder and owner of Telegram, a cloud-based instant messaging service, has commented on media reports that the messaging app has been throttled in Russia, saying the Russian authorities are attempting to push people towards the Kremlin-controlled app Max, which has been "built for surveillance and political censorship".

Source: Durov on Telegram

Details: Durov insisted that such efforts are futile, pointing to Iran where, eight years ago, the authorities "tried the same strategy". Telegram was banned in the country "on made-up pretexts" and people were also urged to switch to a state-run alternative, but Iranians chose to bypass censorship and continued to use the app.

Quote: "Restricting citizens' freedom is never the right answer. Telegram stands for freedom of speech and privacy, no matter the pressure."

Background: Russian users have had problems accessing Telegram since yesterday. Similar issues were reported in January and late December last year. In November 2025, Russia restricted registration on Telegram and WhatsApp following earlier attempts to slow down messaging apps that the Russian authorities have accused of facilitating crime and terrorism.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!