In the recent incidents, Russia’s Chechnya and Dagestan governments have opted to ban the very popular Telegram messenger application on the grounds of heightened security concerns. This is at a time when alarm for the use of the application has heightened, especially in regions where militancy is increasingly gaining strength. Reuters has cited Russian news agency TASS reports that regional authorities have had concerns that the application’s use can be misused by militants and other adversaries for attacking. The ban on the app is seen against the continued suspicion of possible misuses by individuals, notably in the politically tense North Caucasus region whose security situation continues to deteriorate owing to rising presence of militant outfits.
Russia’s two North Caucasian federal constituents, Dagestan and Chechnya, have long struggled with intricate security problems. These issues are inextricably linked with a mix of socio-economic, religious, and geopolitical problems. Militant groups have been exploiting local grievances, ethnic strife, and the legacy of armed struggles to further their causes in these regions. The surge in militant activity has raised serious concerns, not only for the local administration but also for the Russian federal administration, which has been attempting to contain the volatility in the region.
One of the most important incidents that characterized the security issues in Dagestan took place in June 2024 when synchronised attacks on a Christian Orthodox church, a synagogue, as well as police outposts in the cities of Makhachkala and Derbent, both situated in Dagestan, resulted in the killing of several individuals and were regarded as an outright challenge to the stability of the area. Another gruesome incident was witnessed in August 2024 when four militants stormed a high-security prison, killing a number of prison guards. These terrorist attacks have grown more common and sophisticated, sending shivers down the spines of both local and federal governments.
The new move to ban Telegram follows on the heels of a number of other major events, including the October 2023 anti-Israel riots that broke out at Makhachkala airport in Dagestan. The riots witnessed Telegram channels purportedly being used to organize and incite the violence. Even though Telegram had condemned the attacks and, in its follow-up, blocked the rioters’ channels, the regional authorities insisted on their stand, continuing with the ban. Regulators in Dagestan and Chechnya have even urged users to switch to other messaging services because they believe that Telegram is too difficult to handle in the face of increasing security threats.
Telegram, founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov, has had a contentious relationship with Russian regulators. In 2018, the Russian authorities attempted to prohibit the app after Telegram had refused to comply with demands from the Federal Security Service (FSB) to hand over encryption keys. Telegram’s argument was underpinned by its stance on user privacy, holding that handing over the keys would compromise the security of its users. This generated a long and acrimonious standoff, with Russia seeking to block millions of IP addresses in an effort to shut the service down. But the blocking proved ineffective largely, as the users had evaded the blocks, and the outage impacted other services online within the country. In 2020, the ban was lifted by the Russian government after Telegram agreed to cooperate with law enforcement on investigating extremist operations, a gesture that marked a significant shift in the platform’s relationship with the Russian government.
Unexpectedly, tensions between Russian authorities and Telegram have also been maintained by foreign incidents. In August 2024, Telegram founder Pavel Durov was arrested in Paris on charges of enabling illegal activities like drug trade and terrorism on the platform. The arrest marked a significant development in the continued scrutiny of Telegram and its creator. To address mounting pressure from the authorities, Telegram has stepped up moderation policies and has also been cooperating more with law enforcement authorities in various countries. As part of this bolstered cooperation, Telegram has reported a significant spike in the number of requests for data it has responded to for various authorities.
Telegram’s transparency report indicates a substantial rise in the number of data requests it has received from law enforcement bodies. Between January and September 2024, Telegram said it responded to just 14 US data requests that had affected a total of 108 users. However, between the fourth quarter of 2024, the service processed approximately 900 requests by US law enforcement that had affected over 2,250 users. This shift in Telegram’s policy toward cooperation with law enforcement is part of its ongoing battle to satisfy user privacy requirements and comply with legal and regulatory requirements.
Despite the pressure from many governments, Telegram has achieved considerable business performance improvements. In 2024, the platform went into the black for the first time with over $1 billion in revenue, an enormous improvement from the $350 million it made in 2023. The profitability is a testament to the wide appeal of the platform, with approximately 950 million monthly active users as of the end of 2024. Telegram’s business model that has revenue from premium services, ads, and other sources has allowed it to continue expanding despite external shocks.
The censorship of Telegram in Dagestan and Chechnya is merely a component of an overall trend of increasing oversight the app has come under within nations with high-security states. While Telegram remains one of the most widely used messaging apps on the planet, its association with radical groups and aversion to government surveillance ensures it remains a polarizing figure. As Telegram keeps trying to balance its need to ensure privacy with the need to cooperate with law enforcement, its role in global communication and its relationship with national security agencies will likely remain a focal point of debate in the future.
