"Everything will be slowed down": The State Duma threatens new blockages, the Federal Antimonopoly Service has begun to open cases for VPN advertising, and the Kremlin has ordered governors to say goodbye to Telegram.
🔸 The Federal Antimonopoly Service has opened an administrative case against the media project "Angry Chuvashia", who advertised a VPN service on his Telegram channel. How notes According to the Verstka publication, the case was initiated by the regional Ministry of Justice, which did not like the slogan "Our VPN will help overcome blockages."
This is the first known case in Russia in which the authorities have formally charged a media outlet (cases were previously brought against individual Telegram users and a business WhatsApp account). Under the law, which has been in effect since last fall, advertising VPN services carries fines of up to 80 rubles for individuals and up to 500 rubles for organizations.
🔸 Today, the Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy Andrey Svintsov stated that the blocking of Telegram in Russia will continue, and users will not be able to bypass it.
“Telegram will also slow down through a VPN,” считает Svintsov. "If anyone thinks everyone will just download a VPN and continue using the messenger, I have bad news. Nothing will work."
Also he clarifiedthat along with Telegram, the ability to view YouTube and Instagram will disappear.
“Roskomnadzor will gradually decide to systematically block everything prohibited,” Svintsov stated. "Anyone using an illegal VPN will be unable to access anything. Roskomnadzor will block or slow down this traffic, so everything will slow down."
By the way, the deputy's channel in the Max messenger not updated since February 18th. But the posts in his telegram channel appear almost every day. As well as story on Instagram.
🔸 Sources of "Layout" сообщаютThe Kremlin has already ordered governors to prepare for a complete block on Telegram ahead of the State Duma elections—a decision made by security forces. One of the publication's sources emphasizes that "no one wanted a block in a difficult election year," because Telegram integrates not only channels controlled by Kremlin structures but also sociology. Despite this, the Kremlin ordered informational activities to be transferred to the state messenger Max, VK, Odnoklassniki, and Yandex services.