Australia's internet regulator said on Thursday it had begun legal action against messaging platform Telegram over alleged failings to tackle pro-terror posts.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 30th of July, covering the latest developments.
The Kremlin has defended sweeping internet restrictions across Russia, saying measures such as blocking messaging platforms and virtual private networks are necessary for national security rather than a return to past controls.
Russia has imposed a fine of 35 million roubles (around $432,366) on the messaging platform Telegram for failing to remove content deemed illegal by the authorities, according to the Interfax news agency.
The Telegram messaging app has dismissed allegations by the Russian government that its encryption has been breached by foreign intelligence services saying that it's not found any breaches of its encryption.
Foreign intelligence services are able to see messages sent by Russian soldiers using the Telegram messaging app, Russia's minister for digital development Maksud Shadayev said on Wednesday, the Interfax news agency reported.
Russia has begun slowing down the Telegram messaging application, with Roskomnadzor, Russia’s federal communications regulator, set to implement partial restrictions from 10 February, following a wave of fines and administrative cases accusing the platform of hosting illegal content.
Russian authorities are moving to limit certain calling functions on Telegram and WhatsApp, the messaging service owned by Meta Platforms, the Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday, citing communications regulator Roskomnadzor.
Nepal has banned access to the Telegram messaging app, citing its role in a growing number of online fraud and money laundering cases across the country.
ietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications has ordered the country’s telecommunications providers to block access to the messaging platform Telegram.
Telegram has reported a remarkable $540 million profit last year, marking its first annual profit after years of losses. The Dubai-based messaging app’s revenues surged to $1.4 billion in 2024, up from $343 million the previous year, based on a company presentation reviewed by the Financial Times.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov said Sunday he refused an unnamed Western European government’s request to silence conservative voices in Romania ahead of its presidential run-off, affirming that Telegram will not block political channels or curb users’ freedoms.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov has praised France’s rejection of a controversial encryption bill, warning that weakening privacy protections would do little to stop crime but could endanger millions of law-abiding users.
A Moscow court has fined Telegram Messenger Inc. 7 million roubles (about $80,000) for failing to delete content deemed extremist, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Tuesday.
French authorities have temporarily lifted travel restrictions on Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, allowing him to leave France amid an ongoing probe into criminal activities on the platform. Durov, under investigation since August, has reportedly departed for Dubai after posting €5 million bail.
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.
Australia's eSafety Commission fined messaging platform Telegram about A$1 million for its delay in providing information on measures to prevent child abuse and violent extremist content, the regulator announced on Monday.
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