Russia turns on Telegram.
All around the world, social media companies are under pressure from state actors, and our hard-won freedom of speech is under threat in the process.
Case in point: Russia.
Having banned US platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X, and limited access to YouTube, the Russian government now turns on Telegram – a very popular app used by Russian soldiers and war correspondents.
Yesterday (11), Russia’s communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, started limiting access to Telegram.
Bloomberg reported:
“Measures to slow down access to the messenger service have already begun, the news service reported, citing another person familiar that it didn’t identify. RBC said it sent a request for comment to Roskomnadzor.
The government has been promoting the use of a state-run ‘super-app’ called Max, modeled after China’s WeChat, at the same time as it has choked off access to foreign messenger services. As well as messaging, Max hosts government services and enables document storage, banking and other public and commercial services.”
Hellbound and Down 