Kiev enacts a prohibition on the utilization of Telegram by administrative personnel.
Due to its strong encryption of private chats, giving it an edge against surveillance, Telegram has become a problem for Ukraine in terms of information leaks. Kyiv has decided to act.
The Ukrainian government, military, and security personnel are generally prohibited from using the online service Telegram on their official devices. According to a statement posted on Facebook by the National Defense and Security Council, the use of Telegram is no longer allowed on the devices of government officials, military personnel, staff from the security and defense sector, and companies operating critical infrastructures. The primary reason given for this ban was "national security" concerns.
The Ukrainian military uses the Telegram messaging app to discuss sensitive work matters, a senior security official told the AFP news agency. Telegram has become a significant source of information leaks due to its easy susceptibility to hacking by the Russians.
However, the ban does not apply to individuals who must use Telegram as part of their duties, such as distributing official announcements. Telegram serves as an essential communication tool for the military and government. The ban also does not extend to the personal devices of employees.
Telegram was founded by the Durov brothers, Pavel, and Nikolai, in Russia in 2013. It is highly popular in Russia and other former Soviet states as a messaging app. Pavel Durov, the Russian-French founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested in France at the end of August. The French justice accused him of failing to effectively combat the proliferation of criminal and extremist content on Telegram.
Telegram boasts about 500 million users worldwide. Its end-to-end encryption of private messages makes it challenging for surveillance, but it's not just used for information sharing. Telegram also functions as a one-way channel for news dissemination. Users can join, but not challenge or fact-check falsehoods, making it easy for misinformation to spread wide and far. Unlike major tech companies like Facebook and Twitter, which have initiatives to combat misinformation, Telegram is known for its negligible or nonexistent content moderation.
The attack on Ukraine has led to an increase in information leaks, with Telegram being identified as a significant source due to its easy susceptibility to hacking by the Russians. In response to these national security concerns, the Ukrainian government has banned the use of Telegram on official devices for government officials, military personnel, and various other sectors.
