Russia: Government monitoring political Telegram channels

Event

Government officials announced on Sunday, September 24, that a number of state agencies conduct daily monitoring of political channels on the Telegram messaging app. Local media reported that Federal Security Service, Defense Ministry, Interior Ministry, State Duma, and Office of the President all monitor politically-oriented Telegram channels, around 200 in total. Information from the channels is reportedly incorporated into inter-agency daily news digests or used to assess countrywide opinions on domestic policy.

Context

In June, the Telegram app - an encrypted messaging system popular in Russia - was forced to register with the Russian government as an official information distributor. Russian law requires companies to provide basic company information to the government and store user data on servers in Russia for up to six months. The government demanded that Telegram register following claims that Islamic State (IS) militants used the app to plan attacks in Russia. Telegram founder Pavel Durvov has stated that although the company registered with the government, it has not released any confidential user data.

Advice

Individuals in Russia are advised to use discretion when using electronic communications (including via the Telegram app) and be aware that their communications may be monitored.