Telegram blocks Russian state media channels in several EU countries

The messaging app Telegram has blocked access to channels belonging to major Russian state-owned news outlets across much of Europe, including Poland, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, and Latvia.

When users based in the affected European countries attempt to access these channels, they see a notice saying the content is unavailable because it “violated local laws.”

Neither Telegram nor European officials have publicly acknowledged the restrictions but Russian media outlets including RIA Novosti, Izvestia, NTV, Rossiya 1, and Rossiyskaya Gazeta all confirmed they had been blocked. 

Moscow authorities called the action "an act of political censorship” and “a crime” against Russian journalists. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated Sunday that the Kremlin will implement “symmetrical retaliatory measures” if international human rights organizations do not intervene.

The editor-in-chief of the state-run newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta described Telegram’s blocking of the outlet as “a disregard by European officials for journalists' rights and their professional work.”

Earlier in May, the European Union imposed sanctions on Kremlin-controlled media, accusing them of “spreading and supporting propaganda.” In response, Moscow restricted access within Russia to over 80 European media outlets, including Politico, Der Spiegel, and Le Monde — many of which were subsequently blocked.

The European Commission called Russia's ban “nonsense retaliation,” asserting that “propaganda outlets funded by Russia to spread disinformation as part of Russia’s military doctrine are not the same as independent media.”

It is not the first time media companies have drawn sanctions from Russia or the EU. In 2022, Europe blocked access to the Russian state-owned propaganda channels Russia Today and Sputnik. Similarly, in May the EU sanctioned the Prague-based Voice of Europe website, accusing it of promoting pro-Russian narratives. Around the same time, Russia restricted access to several Western news platforms, including the BBC, Deutsche Welle, and Voice of America.

Large social media platforms have complied with local laws and have gone along with, and in some cases supported, blocking access to Russian sites. In September, U.S. tech giant Meta — the owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp — banned Russian state-owned media accounts, including RT, from its platforms. The company said Russian state media networks were engaging in deceptive influence operations likely aimed at amplifying Moscow’s propaganda online.

Telegram flew under the radar of European regulators for years but is now under heavy scrutiny following the arrest of its Russia-born founder, Pavel Durov, who is being investigated in France for a range of offenses, including complicity in facilitating the distribution of child pornography and drug sales on the platform.

Law enforcement and security researchers have extensively documented illegal activity on Telegram, including recruitment and organization among extremist groups. A recent study by a U.S. nonprofit found that Telegram’s “similar channels” feature, introduced last year, recommends extremist channels even when users browse nonpolitical topics such as celebrities or technology.