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Telegram still not complying with Russian law after huge penalty, claim regulators

The news came after Russia has fined the Telegram messaging app 35 ‌million roubles ($432,366) for failing to remove banned content

March 18, 2026
Telegram still not complying with Russian law after huge penalty, claim regulators
Telegram still not complying with Russian law after huge penalty

Russian regulators claim that Telegram is still not complying with Russian law, even after a hefty fine penalty was imposed recently.

The news came after Russia has fined the Telegram messaging app 35 ‌million roubles ($432,366) for failing to remove banned content, Russia's Interfax news agency reported on Monday.

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Authorities have repeatedly accused Telegram, one of the most popular messaging apps in Russia, of allowing itself to be used as a ‌platform for illegal and extremist content.

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Telegram rejects the charge and has accused Russia of trying to throttle its services in order to force people to switch to a state-run app called MAX.

As Russia recently fined Telegram, authorities have repeatedly accused Telegram, one of the most popular messaging apps in Russia, of allowing itself to be used as a platform for illegal and extremist content.

Telegram, however, rejected the charge, describing the fine as politically motivated. The company accused Russia of attempting to throttle its services in a bid to encourage users to migrate to MAX, a state-run messaging application recently introduced in the country.

Experts note that this dispute reflects the growing tension between tech companies and governments worldwide over content moderation.

Notably, experts noted Telegram remains one of the most widely used messaging apps in Russia, making the conflict highly significant for both users and regulators.

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