MOSCOW – Russian officials announced Tuesday they have opened a criminal investigation targeting Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov, alleging the messaging platform has enabled terrorist activities.
According to the Kremlin, Russian authorities have documented numerous legal violations by the messaging service and are now taking action in response to what they describe as Telegram’s refusal to work with Russian officials.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) is leading the criminal probe into Durov on charges of “facilitation of terrorist activities,” state media outlets reported Tuesday.
The messaging platform, which enjoys widespread popularity throughout Russia and former Soviet nations, has recently pushed back against multiple Russian accusations. Officials have alleged the app serves as a safe haven for criminal operations and has been compromised by Western intelligence agencies as well as Ukrainian security services.
Telegram has denied these various allegations in recent days as tensions between the company and Russian authorities continue to escalate.
