Telegram has blocked more than 7.463 million groups and channels since the start of the year. Updated statistics cited by TASS showed the platform blocked 238,800 channels and groups on Feb. 15, followed by another 187,300 on Feb. 16. As of Feb. 17, the running total had passed 7.463 million.
Russian lawmaker says Telegram has started complying
Andrey Svintsov, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, told TASS that Telegram has begun actively meeting Russian regulatory demands. He said the company blocked more than 230,000 channels and content items violating current law over the past week, calling that a sign that Pavel Durov’s company is engaging more actively with authorities.
Russian authorities slowed Telegram traffic earlier this month, citing failure to comply with national rules. Reports later circulated that the messenger could face a full block on April 1, though officials have not confirmed or denied that timeline. Svintsov said Telegram may be able to satisfy Roskomnadzor’s demands within one to two months and keep operating in the country. In his view, the platform will not be blocked before April 1.
Demands cover local entity, data storage, taxes
According to Svintsov, Roskomnadzor wants Telegram to open a legal entity in Russia, store data on Russian territory, pay taxes, and remove prohibited content. He said setting up a legal entity would take no more than one week, while transferring personal data processing would require another two to three weeks.
Last summer, media reports said Telegram was preparing to open an office in Russia under the country’s “landing law,” but Durov denied that move directly or indirectly, according to earlier coverage. Yulia Dolgova, president of the Russian Association of Bloggers and Agencies, also told TASS that it is still too early to say whether Telegram will be fully blocked. She said Telegram, unlike WhatsApp, is taking active steps to keep its service running.
WhatsApp already blocked as users turn to VPNs and alternatives
Roskomnadzor last week removed Meta’s WhatsApp domain from its DNS servers, effectively cutting off access in Russia. Reports also said Russian users are widely relying on VPNs to get around restrictions. As pressure builds on both Telegram and WhatsApp while authorities promote the state-backed Max messenger, some users have been shifting to the U.S.-made messaging app imo.
Telegram is currently the second most popular messaging app in Russia with 93.6 million users, according to the report. WhatsApp had 94.5 million monthly users before it was blocked. The Telegram channel Baza, citing government sources, said Roskomnadzor is preparing to “begin a total blocking of the messenger” on April 1. Asked about the report, the regulator said it had nothing to add to earlier statements about “sequential restrictions.”