Russia said it had designated Telegram founder Pavel Durov a "terrorist" and "extremist," further tightening the screws on the popular messenger app ahead of parliamentary elections in September.Durov, who holds French and UAE passports, reacted to the announcement that he was being placed on the official "terrorist" list with defiant photos and videos on Telegram and other social media apps. One posted to X said "freedom of expression" and showed Durov dancing.The designation, announced on July 29 by Russia's main domestic intelligence agency, known as the FSB, stems from what authorities said was the app's wide use by Ukrainian intelligence services.The label puts Durov in the same legal category as Aleksei Navalny, the late anti-corruption lawyer who built a sizable political following challenging the Russian ruling lawmakers and the Kremlin before dying in a Russian prison.
Authorities said the designation would not apply to Telegram itself, which has come under pressure from government regulators and security services in recent years as part of a wider campaign to try and control what Russians read and watch online.Along with WhatsApp, Telegram is the most popular digital tool used by Russians to communicate, share news, and run businesses, among other things. WhatsApp has been throttled by regulators, slowed down, and widely blocked.Russia's own intelligence services are also believed to use Telegram for things like recruiting unwitting saboteurs in Europe and elsewhere. And Russian war bloggers use the platform to trumpet Russian military operations in Ukraine as well as raise money for Russian units.
