Telegram remains popular in Russia despite block, media reports

The messaging app Telegram continues to be widely used in Russia, even after being blocked by the country's communications regulator. Russian media reports indicate that Telegram maintains a significant user base despite the restrictions.

According to the newspaper Kommersant, Telegram's user numbers in Russia have stabilized at over 75 million, a decrease from an estimated 100 million users prior to the implementation of the block. This suggests that many Russians are employing methods to circumvent the restrictions.

In parallel, other foreign messaging services are seeing increased popularity. The Turkish app BiP has attracted more than 4.3 million users in Russia, while the South Korean service KakaoTalk has over 1.3 million users. Meanwhile, the domestic messaging service MAX reports a user base exceeding 86 million citizens, according to official statistics.

The slowdown for Telegram began in February, following the blocking of WhatsApp, which was previously the most popular messaging service in Russia. Both applications were accused by Russian authorities of failing to comply with local legislation. To access blocked services like Telegram, Russians are increasingly relying on VPNs, tools designed to bypass internet restrictions, which have become very popular.