tech
February 12, 2026
Russian MP calls out ‘idiots’ and ‘scoundrels’ for throttling Telegram
Senior Russian lawmaker Sergey Mironov has slammed officials in the country for restricting the Telegram messenger
TL;DR
- Russia's media watchdog confirmed it has restricted the Telegram app for non-compliance with Russian laws.
- Senior lawmaker Sergey Mironov criticized the move, calling officials "idiots" and "scoundrels."
- Mironov argued the restriction affects Russian soldiers and volunteers communicating with loved ones.
- Russian authorities accuse Telegram and WhatsApp of refusing to cooperate with law enforcement on fraud and terrorism.
- Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has expressed dissatisfaction with the slowdown but has not addressed compliance issues.
- Russia is promoting its domestically developed MAX messenger as a secure alternative.
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