Resolution comes after intelligence company shared proof of Russia’s skill to entry Telegram messages and private information.
Ukraine has banned authorities and navy officers from utilizing the Telegram messaging app on state-issued units due to issues about Russian surveillance.
The Nationwide Safety and Defence Council introduced the restrictions on Friday after Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s GUR navy intelligence company, offered the council with proof of Russian particular companies’ skill to eavesdrop on the platform, it mentioned in an announcement.
The ban was a “matter of nationwide safety”, it added.
Telegram is closely utilized in each Ukraine and Russia and has turn into a important supply of knowledge since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who sits on the safety council, in addition to navy commanders and regional and metropolis officers, all frequently publish updates on the warfare and report necessary choices on Telegram. Officers who use Telegram as a part of their duties won’t be affected by the brand new ban.
Primarily based in Dubai, Telegram was based by Russian-born Pavel Durov, who left Russia in 2014 after refusing to adjust to calls for to close down opposition communities on his social media platform VKontakte, which he later offered.
Durov was arrested in France final month and charged with publishing unlawful content material on the platform.
The council assertion mentioned Budanov had offered proof that Russian particular companies might entry Telegram messages, together with deleted ones, in addition to customers’ private information.
“I’ve at all times supported and proceed to assist freedom of speech, however the challenge of Telegram just isn’t a matter of freedom of speech, it’s a matter of nationwide safety,” Budanov mentioned in his personal assertion.
After the choice was introduced, Telegram issued an announcement saying it had by no means disclosed anybody’s information or the contents of any message.
“Telegram has by no means offered any messaging information to any nation, together with Russia. Deleted messages are deleted ceaselessly and are technically not possible to get better,” Telegram mentioned.
It mentioned each occasion of what it described as “leaked messages” had been confirmed to be “the results of a compromised machine, whether or not via confiscation or malware”.
In response to the Telemetrio database, about 33,000 Telegram channels are lively in Ukraine.
Ukrainian media estimates that 75 % of Ukrainians use the app for communication and that 72 % noticed it as a key supply of knowledge as of the top of final yr.
