Ukraine has banned using the Telegram messaging platform on official gadgets issued to authorities and navy personnel, in addition to protection sector and demanding infrastructure staff.
The nation’s highly effective Nationwide Safety and Protection Council (Rnbo) mentioned this was completed to “decrease” the risk posed by Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“Enemies actively use Telegram to hold out cyber assaults, distribute phishing and malware, consumer geolocation and missile strike correction,” Rnbo mentioned on Friday.
Telegram is extensively utilized by the governments and militaries of Ukraine and Russia.
Ukraine’s prime info safety officers, the navy and lawmakers agreed to the ban at a gathering, Rnbo mentioned in an announcement.
Kyrylo Budanov, the top of navy intelligence, allegedly supplied credible proof that Russian particular forces have the power to entry Telegram customers’ private correspondence and even their deleted messages.
“I’ve all the time supported and can proceed to help freedom of speech, however the issue with Telegram shouldn’t be an issue of free speech, however an issue of nationwide safety,” Budanov mentioned.
Rnbo mentioned officers who use Telegram as a part of their job duties will likely be exempt from the ban.
As well as, Andriy Kovalenko, director of the Rnbo Anti-Pretend Info Middle, emphasised that the ban solely applies to official gadgets and doesn’t apply to non-public smartphones.
He added that authorities officers and navy personnel will be capable of proceed to keep up and replace their official Telegram pages.
Final 12 months, a USAID-Internews survey discovered that Telegram was the highest social platform for information consumption in Ukraine, with 72% of Ukrainians utilizing it.
Telegram – which affords end-to-end encryption – co-founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov and his brother in 2013.
Durov left Russia a 12 months later after refusing to adjust to authorities calls for to close down the platform’s opposition group.
Durov, additionally a French nationwide, was formally investigated in France final month as a part of an investigation into organized crime.
His case has sparked debate about free speech, accountability and the way platforms average content material.
In July, Durov claimed Telegram had 950 million month-to-month energetic customers.
