All you need to know about Telegram - a Russian-made messaging platform with 500 million users Getty Images We take a look at Telegram’s most important features, why Russia tried to block it and why it could be removed from the App Store.
On January 12, 2021, Telegram became the second-most downloaded app in the U.S. and the platform s founder, Pavel Durov, announced on his channel that 25 million new users had joined the app in 72 hours. The new users came from Asia (38 percent), Europe (27 percent) and Latin America (21 percent). Another eight percent are from the Middle East. The total number of users has since topped 500 million.
Russia s State Duma adopts Internet censorship law 2 min read
The high-profile bill prohibiting web portals from censorship passed the third and final reading at the State Duma meeting on Wednesday; as reported earlier, the law will apply to YouTube and Facebook.
In accordance with the bill, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) is authorized to block, either fully or partially, access to websites censoring significant information in the territory of Russia for reasons of nationality, language, origin, material or official status, profession, place of residence or work, attitude to religion, and/or political or economic sanctions imposed by foreign states on Russia and Russian citizens. In particular, a website might be blocked for discrimination of materials of Russian media outlets.
Moscow court finds Google, YouTube guilty in breach of privacy over video depicting minor
MOSCOW. Dec 23 (Interfax) - Moscow s Tagansky District Court has granted a motion by the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) against Google LLC and YouTube by finding them guilty in a breach of privacy law. The respondents actions have been found unlawful and violating the people s right to personal and family privacy, court spokesperson Zulfiya Gurinchuk told Interfax.
Roskomnadzor had brought the case to the court in the interests of the mother of a school student who asked Roskomnadzor to protect the rights of her underage daughter shown in a YouTube video.
State Duma adopts Internet censorship law
MOSCOW. Dec 23 (Interfax) - The high-profile bill prohibiting web portals from censorship passed the third and final reading at the State Duma meeting on Wednesday; as reported earlier, the law will apply to YouTube and Facebook.
In accordance with the bill, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) is authorized to block, either fully or partially, access to websites censoring significant information in the territory of Russia for reasons of nationality, language, origin, material or official status, profession, place of residence or work, attitude to religion, and/or political or economic sanctions imposed by foreign states on Russia and Russian citizens. In particular, a website might be blocked for discrimination of materials of Russian media outlets.