The Russian regulator Roskomnadzor is considering the possibility of removing the ban imposed on Telegram last April , when the messaging application was formally blocked following the failure to provide access keys to user data.
The Russian authorities have declared that they are ready to end the ban if the company decides to comply with local legislation , which requires that messaging services operating in Russia should grant authorities access to information exchanged on the platform, under penalty of from the country.
Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, pointed out that his company has adapted its privacy policies to comply with the GDPR , adding that – if a ruling proves that a user is a suspected terrorist – the application will take care of provide the authorities with all data in their possession, such as IP address and telephone number . So far, no case has ever occurred in which Telegram has arrived at that time, however – if this were to happen – it will be documented in the company’s report on transparency .
Durov then tried to unmask the allegedly good intentions of the Russian authorities pointing out that, despite the change in policies implemented by Telegram, Russia still wants to have access to all the messages exchanged on the platform , which is why it will not accept any compromise.
