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Telegram founder Pavel Durov is reportedly under criminal investigation in Russia

Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, is reportedly under criminal investigation by Russian authorities for “abetting terrorist activities.” According to the Financial Times, state-run publications are accusing Durov of enabling attacks on Russia and Telegram of becoming an intelligence tool for Ukraine and the west. Telegram was one of the apps that Russia blocked in the country just a few days ago, along with WhatsApp, in what seemed to be an effort to push local users towards the unencrypted state-owned app, Max. When Telegram was banned, pro-Russian voices criticized the country’s decision, because it was apparently harming frontline operations. Russia’s own soldiers are using the app to communicate and coordinate their moves. Authorities near the Ukrainian border, for instance, send out warning for incoming drone and missile attacks through the messaging app. Even Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson uses Telegram to speak to the media.Now, the Times says Russia is accusing Telegram of being the main instrument for “NATO countries’ secret services and the Kyiv regime.” Rossiiskaya Gazeta, a Russian state-run publication, added that Telegram was “intercepting location data, selling secret information and intimidating soldiers and their families.” Digital platforms like Telegram, the publication said, are “becoming strategic weapons.” Rossiiskaya Gazeta said its information came from Russia’s Federal Security Service, the country’s primary domestic security agency. Durov has yet to issue a statement, but after Russia blocked access to Telegram, he said the country was restricting access” to the application to “force its citizens onto a state-controlled app built for surveillance and political censorship.” The Telegram founder was born in Russia and co-founded the country’s largest social network, VK. He left his country after Kremlin pressured him to sell his stake in the social network. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/telegram-founder-pavel-durov-is-reportedly-under-criminal-investigation-in-russia-121000511.html?src=rss