Durov Archives

AppWizard

July 29, 2026

Russia charges Telegram founder Pavel Durov with terrorism, issues arrest warrant

The Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia has charged Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, with facilitating terrorist activities and has issued an international warrant for his arrest. The charges are based on Telegram's alleged failure to remove content used by Ukrainian special services and terrorist organizations linked to sabotage, terrorism, mass killings, and cyber-fraud operations within Russia. Telegram has over 1 billion users and is a key communication tool during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Durov, who previously founded VKontakte, has lived abroad since 2014 and holds Emirati and French citizenship. He is also under investigation by French authorities for insufficiently addressing criminal activity on Telegram and not cooperating with law enforcement. Durov denies any wrongdoing.

AppWizard

July 17, 2026

Telegram Trolls France On World Cup 2026 Exit; The Reason Is Not Football At All

Spain defeated France 2-0 in the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026, advancing to the finals. Telegram Messenger expressed schadenfreude over France's exit, tweeting "BYE BYE" with a match result screenshot. Pavel Durov, Telegram's co-founder, faced legal issues in France, including a preliminary investigation into criminal activities involving Telegram, his detention in August 2024, indictment on 12 charges, and a subsequent policy change regarding user data sharing with authorities. Durov characterized his arrest as politically motivated, while Elon Musk criticized the situation, questioning the scrutiny faced by tech leaders.

AppWizard

July 16, 2026

Russia’s Max Messenger Removed From Google Play

Max, a messaging application launched by VK in 2025 and endorsed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, was removed from Google’s Play marketplace on July 16, 2023. The app does not provide end-to-end encryption, raising concerns about government access to user communications. This removal is part of a trend affecting other VK-owned applications, coinciding with recent EU sanctions targeting VK Company and its subsidiary Communication Platform LLC, which oversees the Max app. The EU characterized Max as having extensive surveillance features used against critics of Russia's military actions in Ukraine. Apple also removed Max from its App Store in June without explanation. Max aims to be an all-encompassing platform for messaging, social media, digital identification, payments, banking, and government services, which critics say could enhance government monitoring of citizens. The Russian government has implemented strict measures against foreign social media platforms and previously enacted a ban on Telegram in 2026, which faced public backlash.

AppWizard

June 18, 2026

India’s solution to entrance exam fraud: A temporary ban on Telegram

On June 13, 2026, the National Students Union of India (NSUI) held a protest in Hyderabad against alleged exam paper leaks related to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). The Indian government temporarily blocked access to the messaging platform Telegram to combat exam fraud, with the National Testing Agency (NTA) announcing the ban will last until June 22 and disabling the message editing feature until June 30. The NEET-UG exam was canceled on May 12, affecting approximately 2.2 million students, following allegations of a paper leak. Telegram channels were found soliciting payments for leaked exam papers, while the NTA denied any papers were available outside secured channels. Political ramifications included calls from opposition leader Rahul Gandhi for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The Cockroach Janta Party organized protests nationwide demanding accountability for the examination discrepancies.

AppWizard

June 18, 2026

Telegram vs Jio: Messaging app founder alleges cyberattack, Reliance responds

Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, has raised concerns about accessibility issues on his platform, attributing them to a technique called "BGP hijacking," which redirects internet traffic. He alleges that these disruptions affect users beyond India, including in the UAE, and suggests that Reliance Jio, an Indian telecom operator partly owned by Meta, may be involved in sabotaging access to Telegram. Reliance Jio has denied these allegations, stating they operate in accordance with global internet routing best practices. BGP hijacking occurs when a network falsely claims to be the preferred route, causing disruptions in internet traffic. There are indications that the network in question may be linked to Reliance Communications rather than Reliance Jio. The situation is complicated by a temporary block on Telegram in India due to the platform allegedly being used for leaking examination materials.

AppWizard

June 18, 2026

India Blocks Telegram Access Ahead of Medical School Retest Amid ‘Fake Leak’ Scandal

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in India has imposed a week-long ban on the messaging app Telegram amid a scandal related to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). This decision, enacted under the Information Technology (IT) Act, aims to protect national integrity and sovereignty, following significant irregularities in the original exam held on May 3. The National Testing Agency (NTA) invalidated the initial exam after discovering question leaks, and the upcoming retest is scheduled for June 21. The ban also includes the disabling of Telegram's 'message editing' feature until June 30. Despite the NTA's assurances that no questions have leaked for the retest, concerns about organized cheating groups using Telegram to spread misinformation persist. Pavel Durov, Telegram's CEO, criticized the ban for impacting millions of users without addressing underlying issues. Protests demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan have occurred, and the case has been referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has arrested approximately 11 individuals based on preliminary findings of leaked questions in the exam.

AppWizard

June 4, 2026

Kremlin’s State-Mandated Max Messenger Removed From Apple Store

On June 3, Russia's Max messenger was removed from the Apple App Store. Max, launched in 2025 by VK, integrates messaging, social media, digital identification, payments, banking, and government services. The reasons for its removal are unclear, and VK plans to seek clarification from Apple. Following the removal, the app stopped sending push notifications. Max is part of the Kremlin's strategy for control over information and is positioned as a "secure" alternative, although it lacks end-to-end encryption. Moscow has previously restricted foreign social media platforms, including banning Facebook and Instagram, and has faced backlash for banning Telegram in 2026. Critics warn that Max may enable the Kremlin to monitor citizen communications, with concerns raised about the security of data shared through the app.

AppWizard

April 24, 2026

Founder of Telegram messenger app Pavel Durov says he got a summons in Russia naming him as a ‘suspect’

Pavel Durov has been summoned as a "suspect" in a criminal investigation in Russia, with allegations linking him to terrorism-related activities. This comes amid intensified scrutiny by Russian authorities over Telegram, which is a significant communication tool in the region.

AppWizard

April 7, 2026

Telegram to adapt to Russian restrictions, making traffic harder to detect and block, says app founder

Telegram's founder, Pavel Durov, announced that the messaging platform will adapt to increasing restrictions from the Russian government to make its traffic harder to detect and block. Approximately 65 million Russians use Telegram daily via VPNs, with over 50 million actively sending messages despite government efforts to slow down the service. The Russian government has attempted to ban VPNs, impacting the banking sector, and Durov compared the situation to Iran's previous Telegram ban, noting a similar rise in VPN usage. In February, Russia's communications regulator began slowing down Telegram for non-compliance with requests to remove prohibited content. Durov is under investigation for potential criminal charges related to aiding terrorist activities, which he claims are pretexts to limit access to Telegram. The crackdown on foreign communication tools has intensified, with recent restrictions on WhatsApp, and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has urged citizens to use the state-developed messaging app "Max." Telegram remains crucial for communication, especially for military purposes, amid pressure from Roskomnadzor, the Russian agency monitoring mass media.

AppWizard

April 1, 2026

Russia’s Max Messenger Down Amid Efforts to Curb Telegram

Max, a state-run messaging application in Russia, is facing operational challenges as authorities increase efforts to restrict access to Telegram. Users have reported issues such as the app failing to launch, inability to send or receive messages, and loss of chat histories. Complaints have primarily come from major cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. This is the second outage for Max within three days, with the previous disruption on March 30. Despite being marketed as a reliable alternative, the app's reliability is questioned as Roskomnadzor plans to block Telegram on April 1. Over 6,600 complaints regarding Telegram were documented in the past 24 hours, with accessibility reportedly reduced to around 30%. Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, criticized the government's actions as an attempt to force citizens to use Max, which he claims is designed for surveillance and political censorship. The situation stems from Roskomnadzor's intention to block Telegram, first announced on February 10, following a complete ban on WhatsApp and other restricted platforms.