Russia’s federal assembly, better known as the State Duma, had proposed lifting the ban on the encrypted messaging platform Telegram for easier dissemination of COVID-19 information. These authorities are using Telegram to share information on how to mitigate the pandemic, it stated. However, the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media has opposed the proposal. According to a Russian outlet Interfax, the Ministry argues that Russia has already has established official communication channels.
“Telegram can resume services if it agrees to work with the government.”
The Russian Ministry believes that the messaging app can resume services if it agrees to work with the government, which would mean handing the government its encryption keys, according to the report. In doing so, it would allow the government to access the users’ encrypted messages, something Telegram founder Pavel Durov has refused to do in the past. Telegram CEO and founder Pavel Durov has taken a firm stance on not providing encryption keys to the government even if the app is banned in the country.
Telegram abandons its blockchain project TON.
The encrypted messaging giant Telegram gave up on its blockchain project after fighting a legal battle with the US Securities Exchange Commission for over six months. Telegram founder Pavel Durov blamed the US court for killing the blockchain project as the court had banned Telegram from issuing native tokens in the US and outside the US as well. Pavel Durov blasting at the US court said that the people outside the USA, can vote for their presidents and elect their parliaments, but they still depend on the US when it comes to technology and finance. However, the TON blockchain project is officially spinning off under the name ‘The Open Project,’ for the last two years, the blockchain project was called Telegram Open Network. Telegram has officially cut its ties with the blockchain project.
