Russia’s 2025 Telegram Block Fuels Broad Anger as Kremlin Pushes State-Backed Max
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 8
Russia’s 2025 Telegram Block Fuels Broad Anger as Kremlin Pushes State-Backed Max
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 8
Summary
Telegram’s 2025 blocking has become a flashpoint in Russia, widening anger beyond liberal critics to pro-war users who had relied on the app for messaging and news.
Max, a state-endorsed messenger presumed accessible to the F.S.B., is being pushed as the replacement as authorities block or degrade rival platforms and promote Kremlin-linked alternatives on state media.
Millions of users had turned Telegram into a central platform after the Ukraine invasion, including pro-war channels and soldiers at the front, making its restriction far more politically risky than earlier bans.
The backlash is landing as war pressures deepen: rising costs and a record Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow in mid-May have added to public frustration with the Kremlin.
Is Putin's digital iron curtain creating more dissent than it quells?
With Russian elites using VPNs, can the Kremlin's internet crackdown actually succeed?
2026: Russia Blocks WhatsApp and Telegram, Drives 100 Million to Max Amid Internet Shutdowns and Public Backlash
Overview
In early 2026, Russia intensified its digital crackdown by permanently blocking WhatsApp after designating its parent company, Meta, as an extremist organization. Russian officials defended these actions, while WhatsApp accused the government of trying to fully block its platform. At the same time, authorities escalated efforts to restrict Telegram, citing its alleged use by Ukraine for sabotage and aiming to push citizens toward a state-controlled app designed for surveillance and censorship. Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, openly criticized these moves. Regulators also began deleting websites en masse, signaling a broader push for a tightly controlled, sovereign Russian internet.