Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, is the subject of a "terrorism" investigation by Russia

As Russia gradually strengthens its control over cyberspace, a new stage has just been reached. Indeed, according to Reuters, Russian authorities have announced the opening of a criminal investigation targeting Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, amid accusations related to terrorism.

This decision comes amid a hardening of political and technological attitudes, four years after the start of the war in Ukraine…

A criminal investigation for “aiding terrorist activities”

With more than one billion active users worldwide, Telegram occupies a unique place in the Russian information ecosystem, remaining, even today, a communication tool for the authorities, pro-Kremlin media, the opposition, but also for soldiers on the front lines.

However, this position makes the application both strategic and problematic in the eyes of the authorities.

According to the daily Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the investigation targeting Pavel Durov is based on information provided by the FSB, the Russian Federal Security Service. The founder of Telegram is suspected of "aiding terrorist activities" under Article 205.1 of the Russian Criminal Code.

The authorities accuse the platform of having become a tool serving Ukraine and NATO member countries. The Kremlin also claims that Telegram has been used in several plots targeting Russian military officials, as well as in acts of sabotage since the beginning of the conflict. When questioned on the matter, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned the presence of content that could "threaten" Russia and denounced the company's lack of cooperation with the authorities. Furthermore, Moscow suggests that Telegram's continued operation in the country would be contingent on strict adherence to local laws, which would entail access to private data and increased content control. This legal offensive comes at a time when Russia is attempting to redirect tens of millions of users to Max, a state-backed application, as part of its efforts to build a sovereign web. sovereign.

In recent weeks, Moscow has slowed down certain Telegram features, including voice and video calls, before temporarily blocking the application for some users, as was also the case with WhatsApp.

Based in Dubai, Pavel Durov quickly reacted on the social network X, denouncing an attempt at political censorship. He accuses Russia of wanting to force its citizens to migrate to a state-controlled application designed for surveillance.

However, the standoff between the Kremlin and Telegram is not new, as Moscow had already tried unsuccessfully to block the platform in 2018. But in the context of a protracted war and the rise of digital surveillance tools, the pressure now seems to be reaching a new level…