Ukraine bans Telegram app for some as fears of Russian spying grow

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

UKRAINE IS BANNING THE USE OF THE TELEGRAM MESSAGING APP FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY BECAUSE UKRAINE THINKS RUSSIA COULD BE USING THE APP TO SPY ON ITS ENEMIES.

UKRAINE’S SECURITY COUNCIL SAYS IT FOUND EVIDENCE RUSSIAN SPECIAL SERVICES ACCESSED TELEGRAM MESSAGES, INCLUDING DELETED ONES, AS WELL AS PERSONAL INFORMATION. THE SECURITY COUNCIL SAYS BANNING THE APP FOR ON GOVERNMENT OWNED DEVICES IS  NOT A FREE-SPEECH BUT OF PROTECTING NATIONAL SECURITY.

RIGHT NOW, THE BAN DOESN’T APPLY TO PERSONAL DEVICES.

IT’S ESTIMATED MORE THAN 70 PERCENT OF UKRAINIANS GET THEIR NEWS FROM TELEGRAM. INCLUDING ALERTS FOR INCOMING MISSILE ATTACKS AND EVACUATIONS.PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY REGULARLY USES THE APP TO BROADCAST ANNOUNCEMENTS

THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED 33-THOUSAND TELEGRAM CHANNELS ACTIVE IN UKRAINE ALONE.. AND IT’S ALSO BEEN CALLED “THE LAST WINDOW INTO RUSSIA” — AS IT’S ONE OF THE FEW PLATFORMS TO CIRCUMVENT A RUSSIAN CRACK DOWN– WITH SOURCES SUCH AS THE NEW YORK TIMES AND INDEPENDENT RUSSIAN OUTLETS AVAILABLE ON THE APP. 

BUT IT’S ALSO BECOME A SAFE HAVEN FOR TERRORISTS AND CRIMINALS, SOME OF WHOM ORCHESTRATED TERRORIST ATTACKS IN PARIS AND BERLIN.

THE LACK OF OVERSIGHT IS ALSO CONCERNING TO UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS.

THE PLATFORM IS TEEMING WITH PRO-RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA– SPARKING CONCERNS IT COULD DESTABILIZE UKRAINIAN SOCIETY. RUSSIA IS REPORTEDLY WORKING ON SOFTWARE TO REVEAL THE IDENTITIES OF ANONYMOUS USERS AND ACCESS PRIVATE CHATS. 

THE PLATFORM WAS FOUNDED BY RUSSIAN-NATIVE PAVEL DUROV, WHO LEFT THE COUNTRY IN 2014 AFTER REFUSING THE KREMLIN’S DEMAND TO SHUT DOWN OPPOSITION COMMUNITIES ON THE APP.

DUROV IS NOW IN CUSTODY IN FRANCE AFTER BEING ARRESTED IN AUGUST ON CHARGES RELATED TO CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, DRUG TRAFFICKING AND FRAUD TRANSACTIONS ON HIS APP. 

WE’LL KEEP FOLLOWING THIS STORY CLOSELY AND YOU CAN TOO– JUST DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M RYAN ROBERTSON.