Russia demands Telegram stop sharing citizens’ data

Russia’s communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, has called on the messaging app Telegram to take stronger measures to prevent the disclosure of Russian citizens’ personal data and to block access to so-called “probing” services.

In a statement, the agency said Telegram should “independently prevent the disclosure of personal data of Russian citizens, exclude the possibility of searching for ‘probing’ services, and stop providing them with infrastructure to access stolen personal information,” Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Roskomnadzor noted that since 2022, Telegram has removed 8,358 “probing” services, which are used to search for and distribute the personal information of Russian users. In 2026, the messenger reportedly deletes up to 100 such services per week at the agency’s request.

“However, the situation fundamentally does not change: new bots for searching personal data continue to appear,” the watchdog added, highlighting ongoing challenges in curbing the spread of stolen personal information.

By Vafa Guliyeva