World

Russian Telegram users report outage amid app crackdown

By AAP Newswire

Mar 17, 2026

The popular messaging service Telegram is facing a blackout in Russia.

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Users reported that the service's app and web versions were inaccessible on Monday, with rumours having previously circulated of a full ban from April 1.

Audio and video calls on Telegram and WhatsApp have been blocked in Russia since mid-2025, with authorities alleging that messaging companies are not complying with Russian laws.

Other messaging services such as Signal and Viber have already been blocked while numerous other websites including YouTube cannot be accessed without a virtual private network (VPN).

Russian authorities are also increasingly cracking down on the use of VPNs to circumvent regulations.

The deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee on information policy Andrei Svintov recently said that intelligence services could restrict or block VPN traffic within the next three to six months.

In Moscow, VPN services via mobile internet are already severely restricted.

Authorities are calling on residents to use the new Russian messaging app Max.

Critics fear the app will be used to spy on customers.