In the wake of the events in Ukraine, Russia has blocked social networks such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter on its territory, and Meta has been declared extremist. But Telegram, which is becoming the most convenient means of communication around the world, is no longer blocked. This led to various rumors circulating around the messenger. Especially after the words of one of the Russian deputies.
“Durov reconciled with the FSB”
Oleg Matveychev, a Russian State Duma deputy and deputy chairman of the Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications, told Podyom that Russia did not intend to block Telegram. He says Telegram is politically neutral and has no grounds for bias. According to the deputy, Pavel Durov also agreed with the Russian Federal Security Service – the FSB.
“Durov has reached an agreement with the FSB. Of course, do what you know on my farm, it’s not an agreement, it’s just that it’s important for people’s lives, that terrorists communicate through the Telegram. During the operation, if a terrorist or someone is under surveillance, a request will be sent to [Telegram]. The Telegram has installed a device that allows it to monitor all dangerous entities, “the deputy said in a sensational statement.
He said Telegram does not have the same censorship and manipulation as Facebook or Instagram, Telegram is just a platform for bloggers and can work with it for now.
“If Russia applies a policy of censorship and allows a declaration of murder, then Telegram will have problems,” he said. Durov is currently receiving a large influx. What good is Durov doing when people are switching from Facebook and Instagram to Telegram? ” MP added.
Pavel Durov has repeatedly said that his messenger is the most reliable means of communication. Matveychev’s remarks could lead to a drop in confidence in Telegram.
The Telegram’s Code Durova channel tried to get a response from the messenger’s management. A source close to the channel’s Telegram management responded to the deputy’s statement that Durov had reached an agreement with the FSB: “Clowns.”
The Telegram, which published the response, recommended re-reading Durov’s recent appeal to his channel. “In the wake of the events in Ukraine, the telegram channels are becoming a place of unverified information. I would ask users in Russia and Ukraine to be suspicious of every message on Telegram. We do not want Telegram to be used as a tool to provoke ethnic conflict, ”Durov wrote.
Code Durova also wrote in a commentary that it had nothing to do with Pavel Durov. In addition, the channel, which received a “verified” blue mark from the messenger, provides insider information about Telegram. Telegram has not yet denied that Russian-language messages about the messenger were broadcast on the channel.
The Code Durova channel shared another message in this regard. It contains a message posted on iPhones.ru.
iPhones.ru reported, “Exclusive: Telegram Durov denies collusion with FSB.” In an interview with iPhones.ru, Telegram spokesman Remi Von denied reports that Pavel Durov and the FSB had reached a compromise. “These allegations are untrue. We are sorry that they are spreading false information about the Telegram at such a difficult time, “Kod Durova quoted Remy Vaughn as saying.
Another source noted that Telegram currently has more than 700 million users, of whom only 7-8 percent are Russians. The report said that Telegram did not have to reach an agreement with the Russian government “to save lives.”
Pavel Durov has often said that the Telegram is the most reliable means of communication in the world. By comparison, he has been highly critical of his rival, WhatsApp. After WhatsApp announced in 2021 that it would begin providing users with relevant information to Facebook (now Meta), users began to switch en masse to Telegram.
Within days of the incident, the number of Telegram users had reached 500 million. Durov once again criticized his main rival: “People do not want to be a toy in the hands of excessive technological monopolies, to live in danger of the spread of information. With an audience of half a billion now, Telegram has become a convenient place for those who want security. We understand this responsibility and we will not embarrass you, ”said the founder of Telegram.
Earlier, Durov also advised users to delete WhatsApp from the phone. Durov said Facebook had been involved in spying programs many times, and that Telegram had hired an entire team to uncover the secret of its success. “I make it easy for them to sign. There is only one secret to our success: respect your users, ”Durov said.
Telegram and Russia: The first blockade failed
In 2018, there was a disagreement between Telegram and the Russian Federal Security Service. FSB