Russia launches criminal investigation into Telegram founder Pavel Durov

MOSCOW — Telegram founder Pavel Durov said Tuesday that the Russian government has launched a criminal investigation against him on charges of "supporting terrorism."

Durov, who was born in Russia and began his career there, accused Moscow of fabricating the allegations to limit access to the app. He characterized the investigation as part of a broader effort to "suppress privacy and freedom of speech."

The announcement follows a decision two weeks ago by Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media watchdog, to restrict the messaging service. The agency accused the company of failing to comply with Russian law.

The move has sparked a public outcry, including from pro-Kremlin military bloggers. These critics warned that the Russian military relies heavily on Telegram and that any restrictions would disrupt essential communications.

However, Russian officials maintained that Telegram poses a security risk. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Federal Security Service (FSB) has documented "a large number of violations" by the company and stated the app does not cooperate with authorities.

The standoff between Moscow and Telegram has emerged as a quintessential case study in the escalating friction between authoritarian states and global tech platforms committed to end-to-end encryption. Yet for the Kremlin, the calculus is uniquely fraught. Telegram is no longer merely a haven for political dissent; it has become a critical operational backbone for the Russian military in Ukraine and a primary megaphone for influential pro-war bloggers. Any move to stifle the platform thus creates a tactical paradox, where the state risks sabotaging its own strategic communication and wartime logistics.

From a tech policy perspective, Russia’s maneuvers mirror a broader shift toward digital sovereignty also seen in Hanoi: the tightening of oversight on cross-border platforms in tandem with the promotion of homegrown alternatives. The Kremlin’s push for the "MAX" app—a domestic platform allegedly designed to facilitate state data access—while simultaneously squeezing Telegram, parallels Vietnam’s own efforts to nurture domestic social networks. Both nations are increasingly leveraging local legal frameworks, such as Vietnam’s Cybersecurity Law, to compel global tech giants to comply with data localization and content moderation demands.

This confrontation represents a pivotal stress test for state power in the digital age. Governments worldwide, including Vietnam’s, are monitoring the fallout to determine the precise threshold at which a state can subdue a popular encrypted service without triggering significant domestic blowback or compromising its own strategic interests.

Telegram has carved out a unique space within the global Vietnamese community, serving as a vital, private conduit for those in the homeland and the diaspora alike. From the bustling business networks of Little Saigon to the tight-knit circles of the nail salon industry, users rely on the platform to navigate sensitive discussions—whether they concern community advocacy or the complexities of F2B and EB-5 visa processes—outside the reach of mainstream surveillance on Facebook or Zalo. Because so many rely on these encrypted channels to speak freely, any service disruption or shift in Telegram’s privacy policy would directly threaten the communication lifelines that sustain these private community dialogues.