The investigation cites Part 1.1 of Article 205.1 of Russia’s Criminal Code, which addresses assistance to terrorist activities. Telegram, which claims more than 1 billion active users worldwide, has denied allegations that the app serves as a haven for criminal activity or is compromised by foreign intelligence agencies, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Russia’s state communications regulator has already imposed restrictions on Telegram, citing the platform’s failure to remove extremist content. Authorities have been encouraging Russian users to migrate to the state-backed messaging app MAX, launched nearly a year ago.
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The investigation marks another escalation in Moscow’s attempts to regulate and control digital communication platforms.
