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Ukraine weighs Telegram limits amid Russian security risks - NYT

Ukraine weighs Telegram limits amid Russian security risks - NYT Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not use Telegram on his own phone (Getty Images)
Author: Bohdan Babaiev

In recent months, Ukrainian officials have become increasingly concerned about the country’s dependence on the Telegram messaging app. Fears have risen that the app is being used as a vector for disinformation and a tool for espionage benefiting Russia, reports The New York Times.

According to two sources, this year, Ukrainian officials discussed the possibility of imposing new restrictions on Telegram in secret cybersecurity meetings.

The country’s intelligence service concluded that the app poses a national security threat and is being used by Russia for disinformation, cyberattacks, hacking, spreading malware, tracking locations, and adjusting missile strikes.

A Ukrainian cybersecurity official revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who regularly posts updates on his Telegram channel to over 700,000 subscribers, does not use the app on his personal phone for security reasons.

Bloomberg also reported that officials asked Apple to limit the platform in March, arguing that the Silicon Valley giant could use its app store — vital for Telegram's global distribution — to pressure the company into action. Telegram, however, responded by stating:

"(Russia -ed.) has not — and cannot — access user information. Telegram is and always has been safe for Ukrainians and users around the world," Telegram said.