Ukraine Bans Telegram on Official Devices Over Security Concerns
Ukraine has imposed a ban on the use of the Telegram messaging app on official devices used by government officials, military personnel, and critical workers due to concerns that Russia may be spying on users and intercepting messages, the National Security and Defence Council announced on Friday.
The decision came after Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency, presented evidence to the council demonstrating that Russian special services could potentially monitor activity on the platform. The security council emphasized that the ban only applies to official devices and does not extend to personal phones, according to a statement by Andriy Kovalenko, head of the council’s Centre on Countering Disinformation.
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Telegram, a popular app in both Ukraine and Russia, has played a significant role in disseminating information since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Despite its widespread use, Ukrainian security officials have repeatedly raised concerns about the app’s vulnerability during the ongoing conflict.
Founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov and headquartered in Dubai, Telegram has faced scrutiny in the past. Durov, who left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to censor opposition groups on his previous social media platform VKontakte, was arrested in France in August. He is currently under investigation for alleged involvement in child pornography, drug trafficking, and fraudulent activities on Telegram.
The Security Council’s statement indicated that Budanov provided evidence showing that Russian special services could access Telegram messages, including deleted ones, and users’ personal data. “This is not about freedom of speech but a matter of national security,” Budanov stated.
In response to the ban, Telegram issued a statement denying any involvement in data breaches, asserting, “Telegram has never provided any messaging data to any country, including Russia. Deleted messages are permanently removed and cannot be recovered.”
The platform attributed any “leaked messages” to compromised devices, either through confiscation or malware. As of now, there are approximately 33,000 active Telegram channels in Ukraine, according to the Telemetrio database.
Despite the ban, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, military commanders, and regional officials continue to use Telegram for disseminating updates on the war and communicating important decisions. Ukrainian media estimate that 75% of Ukrainians use the app for communication, with 72% considering it a primary source of information by the end of last year.
