Russians protest blocking of Telegram app

Russia banned Telegram after it refused to provide decryption keys, saying terrorists use app to plot attacks

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Hundreds of Russians took part in a "Free Internet" demonstration in the capital Moscow on Sunday, protesting the blocking of the messaging app Telegram.

Telegram was blocked on April 13 for its refusal to provide the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) with decryption keys.

The protest took place without incident, as witnessed by Anadolu Agency correspondents on the ground.

The FSB has claimed that international terrorist groups take advantage of Telegram's high-encryption chats. The app was used to plot the April 2017 St. Petersburg metro attack, which killed 15 and injured scores, according to the FSB.

When the FSB asked Telegram to provide the encryption key for decoding messages, it refused, saying users’ personal data is protected.

Telegram is also banned in Iran, whose authorities have also complained about the app’s popularity in criminal groups.

Kaynak: