Russia warns Telegram could face shutdown over legal violations

Telegram could face increasingly serious operational difficulties in Russia if the messaging platform fails to comply with national legislation, Senator Andrey Klishas said during a broadcast on Radio Sputnik, according to Russian media.

According to Klishas, the situation could ultimately reach a point where Telegram might be unable to operate in the country altogether. Responding to a question about the possibility of a full ban, the Federation Council representative said that any final decision would depend on the ruling of Roskomnadzor.

The remarks come amid growing regulatory pressure on the platform. On February 11, a Moscow court fined Telegram more than 11 million rubles (about $143,000) for violating Russian rules governing restricted information. The penalty was imposed by the Tagansky District Court under Article 13.41 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offences, according to the press service of Moscow’s courts.

The court determined that Telegram had failed to remove content deemed to incite extremist activity, resulting in a fine of 7 million rubles (approximately $91,000). Additional violations included the failure to delete posts containing knowingly false information about the Russian armed forces, as well as materials related to the sale of alcohol, tobacco products, and personal data. These violations led to a further fine of 3.8 million rubles (about $49,400).

Earlier, on February 10, Roskomnadzor stepped up measures aimed at slowing access to Telegram. The regulator warned that restrictions would remain in place unless the platform localised servers within Russia and brought its operations into compliance with domestic legal requirements.

By Tamilla Hasanova