Russia is increasing pressure on Telegram and preparing for a possible block.

For several months, relations between Moscow and foreign digital platforms have been strained.

In this context, a new court decision has revived concerns about the future of Telegram in Russia, where the application remains widely used…

An additional fine in a long-running standoff

The Tagansky District Court in Moscow has fined Telegram 35 million rubles, or approximately €350,000. This sanction is based on five offenses related to maintaining prohibited content online, including content associated with extremism, narcotics, and child pornography. This decision is part of a series of sanctions already imposed on the platform. Last February, a fine of 10.8 million rubles was levied. In total, the penalties could reach 64 million rubles, illustrating the increasing pressure exerted by Russian authorities. Officially, the courts are accusing Telegram of not removing content deemed illegal quickly enough, in accordance with local information laws. But for the company, these accusations are primarily motivated by political considerations. In the background, the Russian government is seeking to strengthen its control over online information flows by demanding increased cooperation from major international platforms. Towards a total block as early as April? Beyond the fine, it is the prospect of a complete block that is worrying, so much so that, according to several local sources, the decision to completely restrict access to Telegram has already been made, with implementation possible as early as April. The warning signs are multiplying, particularly since the summer of 2025, when features of the application were progressively degraded. Among them are disabled audio and video calls, service slowdowns, and occasional outages observed in several major cities such as Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

This scenario is reminiscent of WhatsApp, which was blocked in Russia last February. If Telegram were to suffer the same fate, nearly 90 million Russian users would be directly affected.

MAX, the State-Backed Alternative

In parallel, Russian authorities are actively encouraging the adoption of MAX, a messaging app developed by the VK group and supported by the Kremlin.

Launched in 2025, the application is now pre-installed on smartphones sold in the country and already boasts 100 million registered users. It offers extensive features, ranging from messaging and online public services to payment tools. However, MAX stands out on one sensitive point: the lack of end-to-end encryption. Its privacy policy also mentions the possibility of sharing data with third parties and government agencies. Given this situation, the pressure exerted on Telegram appears to be a lever to accelerate the adoption of this national alternative, in line with Moscow's assertion of digital sovereignty.