Authorities in Russia’s Dagestan and Chechnya regions have blocked access to the Telegram messaging app over concerns it could be used by hostile groups, according to regional officials quoted by the TASS state news agency.
Dagestan’s digital development minister, Yuri Gamzatov, stated that the decision was made at the federal level due to security risks. “It (Telegram) is often used by enemies, an example of which is the riots at the Makhachkala airport,” he said, referring to the October 2023 anti-Israel riot in Dagestan. During that incident, protesters stormed an airport after calls for antisemitic violence circulated on Telegram.
Telegram, founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov and based in Dubai, has nearly 1 billion users. The app has faced previous crackdowns from Moscow, which unsuccessfully attempted to ban it in 2018 and has demanded user data access.
Gamzatov suggested Telegram could be unblocked in the future but encouraged users to switch to other messaging platforms. Telegram has not yet responded to requests for comment.
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