Ukraine has banned the use of the Telegram messaging platform on official devices issued to government and military personnel, as well as defence sector and critical infrastructure employees.
The country’s powerful National Security and Defence Council (Rnbo) said this was done to “minimise” threats posed by Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Telegram is widely used by the government and the military in both Ukraine and Russia.
In a statement, the Rnbo said the ban was agreed at a meeting of Ukraine’s top information security officials, the military as well as lawmakers.
It said military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov had presented credible evidence of Russian special services’ ability to access personal correspondence of Telegram users, even their deleted messages.
The Rnbo said that those officials for whom the use of Telegram was part of their work duties would be exempt from the ban.
Separately, Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Rnbo’s centre on countering disinformation, stressed the ban only applied to official devices – not personal smartphones.
He added that government officials and military personnel would be able to continue to maintain and update their official Telegram pages.
Last year, a USAID-Internews survey found that Telegram was the top social platform in Ukraine for news consumption, with 72% of Ukrainians using it.
Telegram – which offers end-to-end encryption – was co-founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov and his brother in 2013.
A year later, Durov left Russia after refusing to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on the platform.
Last month, Durov, who is also a French national, was placed under formal investigation in France as part of a probe into organised crime.
His case has fuelled a debate about freedom of speech, accountability and how platforms moderate content.
In July, Durov claimed that Telegram reached 950 million monthly active users.
Related posts:
Ogun state launches ICT devices for health insurance scheme
Telegram CEO, Founder, Pavel Durov, Arrested In Paris
Our Detained CEO, Pavel Durov, Has Nothing To Hide- Telegram
Telegram founder, Pavel Durov placed under formal investigation in France
‘Explosive devices’ meant for Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama intercepted by the U.S. Secret Service
No licence has been issued for 5G in Nigeria – FG
Apple Shares Fall After Alleged Chinese Ban On Devices
Crowdstrike Says Significant Number Of Devices Are Back Up
