When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
In the latest news, two regions of Russia, Dagestan and Chechnya, have banned the text messenger Telegram over the reason of its doubtful usage being compromised by miscreants. The Ministry of the Digitalization of the Dagestan region approved this choice to face concerns about possible adverse effects of Telegra by TASS, the telegraph agency that gives news on state level.
The growth of the military among the Muslim territories in the south of Russia, Dagestan, and Chechnya particularly has started an upsurge of the religious Islamist activity, which gave intelligence bodies a much tougher time to watch out for the suspects. Yuri Gamzatov, who was in charge of the digital development program in the region, stressed the functionary that Telegram was employed by the opponents in the Makhachkala airport, thus enumerating it as an example of the abusers of the Messenger application. It was pointed out that this activity was done at the level of the federal government.
Riot at Makhachkala Airport Sparked Concerns
The incident at the Makhachkala airport in October 2023, when there was an anti-Israel riot in Dagestan. Hundred of protesters invaded the airport and tried to attack passengers from Israel as they arrived. In the middle of the situation, no passengers were hurt. However, the public prosecutor has indicted some of the individuals who took part in this event. The preparation of the riot was through some local Telegram channels; the users who participated sent out the calls for antisemitic violence. Consequently, Telegram still expressed the incident and took a step further, blocking the channels.
This ban is seen as a test of its effectiveness in suppressing extremist activities. On the one hand, closing down certain communication networks could be a hurdle. On the other hand, the move might prompt users to look for alternative or more covert means of communication, which will therefore make the efforts of the authorities in monitoring communication means more intricate. The intersection of national security and openness of communication became a difficult and evolving matter for policymakers and technology companies equally.
In closing, the Dagestan and Chechnya decision on preventing Telegram from being used illustrates the ongoing worries of the local authorities in the matter of online secure messaging being utilized by adversaries. The ongoing situation will show how both security dynamics and the digital communication landscape in these regions will be influenced by these measures and how they unfold. Censorship may also have a great impact.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
