On February 10, 2026, Roskomnadzor began a partial restriction of Telegram in the Russian Federation. The founder of the messenger, Pavel Durov, recalled Iran's unsuccessful attempts to force people to use the state analogue.
On February 10, 2026, Roskomnadzor began a partial restriction of Telegram in the Russian Federation. The founder of the messenger, Pavel Durov, recalled Iran's unsuccessful attempts to force people to use the state analogue.
“Russia is restricting access to Telegram in an attempt to force its citizens to switch to a state-controlled app designed for surveillance and political censorship,” Durov wrote on Telegram.
Iran has already tried similar tactics, which proved ineffective, the messenger's co-founder noted.
Eight years ago, the Iranian government banned Telegram under fabricated pretexts to impose a state-controlled messenger on its citizens. However, the attempt failed: most Iranians continue to use Telegram through circumvention tools, ignoring state-run apps that could spy on them.
"Limiting citizens' freedom is never the right answer. Telegram stands for freedom of speech and privacy, despite the pressure," Durov added.
