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What a surprise …
Opposition to a planned shutdown of Telegram in Russia is prompting protest attempts across several cities. But many of those demonstrations have struggled to obtain official approval.
An investigation by the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta Europe found that residents in at least 11 Russian cities recently tried to organize rallies against the Kremlin’s plan to restrict the widely used messaging platform.
Local officials, however, have largely refused permission for the gatherings.
A bit of backstory
Russia’s communications regulator Roskomnadzor announced in February that internet providers would block access to Telegram starting on April 1.
The decision triggered strong reactions in a country where the messaging platform has roughly 90 million users and serves as one of the most prominent communication tools.
Authorities have repeatedly criticized Telegram’s end-to-end encryption and privacy features, saying they raise national security risks and facilitate online fraud.
At the same time, officials have spent the past year encouraging users to move to a government-backed platform known as MAX.
Limited approval
According to Novaya Gazeta Europe, only two of the planned 11 protests have been allowed so far. At least eight other proposed demonstrations were rejected by authorities.
Officials cited various reasons for blocking them, including heavy snowfall, ongoing coronavirus regulations and even concerns about “large numbers of potential attendees”.
In Barnaul, a city in southern Siberia, authorities reportedly declined a permit request by arguing that neither “political repression” nor “the blocking of popular internet resources” constituted legitimate issues within Russia.
The refusals come amid growing debate over the future of Telegram in the country.
Sources: Novaya Gazeta Europe, Reuters
