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   Telegram CEO condemns new restrictions in Russia as citizens turn to VPNs to   
   bypass the blocks   
      
   By Chiara Castro published 4 hours ago   
      
   Pavel Durov vows to keep fighting Russian censors "no matter the pressure"   
      
       Telegram CEO publicly condemns app restrictions in Russia   
       Pavel Durov vows to keep fighting Russian censors "no matter the pressure"   
       Russian AmneziaVPN confirms a "huge wave of new users"    
      
   Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has strongly criticized the Kremlin's decision to   
   restrict access to the messaging app in Russia, promising to resist government   
   government censors "no matter the pressure."     
      
   The statement followed a surge in reports from Russian users experiencing   
   significant slowdowns and connectivity issues.  The disruption was officially   
   confirmed by Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, which announced   
   the implementation of "consistent restrictions" on the platform.   
      
   In a statement reported by RBC, the agency said the measures were designed "to   
   ensure compliance with Russian legislation and ensure the protection of   
   citizens."   
      
   The regulator accused Telegram of failing to safeguard personal data or take   
   adequate steps to combat criminal activity on the service. However, Durov has   
   dismissed these justifications saying it represents an "authoritarian move."   
      
   "Russia is restricting access to Telegram to force its citizens onto a   
   state-controlled app built for surveillance and political censorship," Durov   
   wrote on X. He was referring to the Kremlin-backed MAX messaging app, a   
   platform that experts have previously flagged for its "enormous surveillance   
   potential."   
      
   Durov also compared the ongoing Russian restrictions on Telegram to those   
   enforced in Iran eight years ago, arguing that a state-imposed ban won't stop   
   citizens from using the app.   
      
   "Iran tried the same strategy - and failed," notes Durov, adding that many   
   Iranians still use the app.   
      
   The shift toward VPN services and other censorship circumvention tools is   
   already underway in Russia. AmneziaVPN, a provider known for its   
   censorship-resistant tools, confirmed to TechRadar that it is seeing a "huge   
   wave of new users" for its free service, AmneziaFree.   
      
   A sign of expanding censorship   
      
   The latest restrictions were not unexpected for those monitoring the country's   
   evolving censorship apparatus.   
      
   Mazai Banzaev, founder and architect of Amnezia VPN, told TechRadar: "Amnezia   
   had been preparing for possible Telegram blocks for about six months," adding   
   that he was "surprised it happened this late."   
      
   Banzaev argues that the disruptions are a clear indicator of the Kremlin's   
   long-term goal: the decoupling of Russia from the global internet.   
      
   "Technically, Roskomnadzor seems ready to block all major global services and   
   cloud platforms, including Google, Amazon, Cloudflare, and others," he warned.   
      
   VPNs are also a target   
      
   As more Russians turn to VPNs to evade these restrictions and maintain access   
   to Telegram, using a VPN in the country is becoming increasingly difficult.   
   Russia's battle against circumvention tools has entered a new phase,   
   characterized by massive investment in AI-powered Deep Packet Inspection (DPI)   
   and a tightening legislative environment.   
      
   While Telegram offers its own built-in proxy system, Banzaev argues that using   
   a high-quality VPN remains the most practical solution for the average user.   
   "In reality, only a small number of users are ready to manually set up proxies   
   and deal with Telegram's settings," he said.   
      
   Because the effectiveness of specific protocols can fluctuate daily, it's worth   
   downloading several apps so you can switch between them if disruption occurs.    
      
      
   https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/telegram-ceo-condemns-new-re   
   strictions-in-russia-as-citizens-turn-to-vpns-to-bypass-the-blocks   
      
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