Russia Says Telegram Is Used to Target Military, Government Personnel
The Interior Ministry’s cybercrime division said that Telegram services, primarily bots, allow users to compile personal details to create illegal “digital profiles,” including full names, birth dates, addresses, phone numbers, and information about relatives.
“In just one month, their use contributed to the commission of more than 13,000 crimes with damages exceeding 15 billion rubles ($195.5 million),” the ministry stated.
Despite measures taken, the department noted that channels and bots selling stolen data continue operating on messaging platforms. Appeals from Interior Ministry units to foreign platforms reportedly went unanswered and failed to meet Russian legal requirements.
The federal communications and media regulator, Roskomnadzor, demanded that Telegram block access to Russian citizens’ personal data and prevent its infrastructure from facilitating the sale of stolen information.
Since 2022, Telegram has removed 8,358 such services following Roskomnadzor requests and continues to eliminate up to 100 services weekly in 2026, according to reports. However, the regulator added, "the situation remains fundamentally unchanged: new bots are appearing to search for personal data."
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