Russia to Block Telegram on April 1 Amid Censorship Push
Source: nytimes.com
- Russia plans to fully block Telegram starting April 1, 2026, after months of slowdowns and restrictions.
- The app has 90-100 million users in Russia, serving as a key hub for news, business, and military communications.
- The ban pushes users to the state's glitchy Max app, risking economic disruption and heightened censorship struggles.
Russia's government is set to completely shut down Telegram, the last major international messaging app still widely used by its citizens, on April 1, 2026. Key players include President Vladimir Putin, regulator Roskomnadzor, the antitrust agency FAS, and Telegram founder Pavel Durov, whom the FSB is investigating for alleged terrorism links. The core push is to force users onto Kremlin-controlled platforms amid claims Telegram aids criminals, terrorists, and Western spies. This matters because