Telegram

Kremlin delivers warning to Telegram boss after Moscow terror attack

Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson called out Pavel Durov and flagged that the platform is being “used for terrorist purposes.”

BY ŠEJLA AHMATOVIĆ

Vladimir Putin’s press secretary on Thursday urged Russian-born Telegram boss Pavel Durov to monitor the messaging app more closely, claiming that terrorists use it.

“We would have expected more attention from Pavel Durov,” Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Russia's pro-government outlet Life.

“Because this unique and phenomenal resource from a technological point of view, which grew up before our generation's eyes, is increasingly becoming a tool in the hands of terrorists — used for terrorist purposes,” Peskov said, but added that Russia currently had no plans to ban Telegram.

On Friday, at least 143 people were killed in an attack on a concert hall in Moscow. According to the Russian state-controlled news agency RIA, the attackers were recruited in a Telegram channel belonging to ISIS-K, an Islamic State group affiliate, which emerged in late 2014 as a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban. 

Up to 49 million people — 40 percent of Russia's internet users — used Telegram in 2023, which makes it the country's most popular platform.

Critics accuse Telegram of tolerating the spread of conspiracy theories and hate speech, which often find a home — and proliferate — on the app.

The platform's founder Durov addressed the criticism in a blog post in October 2017, arguing that Telegram defends freedom of speech.

“Criticizing local authorities, challenging the status quo and engaging in political debate are OK,” Durov wrote. “Meanwhile, promoting violence and calling for actions that can harm innocent people are not OK. This is a rule of thumb we’re always applying when moderating public channels."

In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Durov said when asked about Putin and the Kremlin's war on Ukraine: “Let’s not go there," adding that it is “very important for the world to retain Telegram as a neutral platform.”