<2>Telegram Disputes Russia’s Claim Its Encryption Was Compromised
<3>The Latest Move in the Ongoing Campaign to Promote a Sovereign Internet
Russia’s domestic intelligence agency has made a claim that Ukraine can obtain sensitive information from troops using the Telegram app on the front line, reports < href='https://techcrunch.com' target='_blank'>TechCrunch. The fact that the claims were made through Russia’s state-operated news outlet RIA Novosti signals “tightening scrutiny over a platform used by millions of Russians,” < href='https://techcrunch.com' target='_blank'>TechCrunch notes, as the Kremlin continues efforts to “push people to use a new state-backed alternative.”
Russia’s communications watchdog limited access to Telegram — a popular messaging app owned by Russian-born billionaire Pavel Durov — over a week ago for failing to comply with Russian laws requiring personal data to be stored locally. Voice and video calls were blocked via Telegram in August. The pressure is the latest move in a long-running campaign to promote what the Kremlin calls a sovereign internet that’s led to blocks on < href='https://wired.com' target='_blank'>YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Foreign intelligence services are able to see Russia’s