Ukraine has banned the use of Telegram on government-issued devices due to concerns that Russia can use the app to spy on communications and track users, a report has said. The ban was announced by the National Security and Defence Council after the head of military intelligence presented evidence of Russian surveillance capabilities on the platform.
According to a report by news agency Reuters, Andriy Kovalenko, head of the security council’s centre on countering disinformation, clarified that the restrictions apply only to work phones, not personal devices.
The report also says that since the war between Ukraine and Russia broke out in 2022, Telegram has become a critical source of information.
The Security Council statement said Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency, had provided evidence that Russian special services could access Telegram messages, including deleted ones, as well as users’ personal data.
“I have always supported and continue to support freedom of speech, but the issue of Telegram is not a matter of freedom of speech, it is a matter of national security,” Budanov said.
According to a report by news agency Reuters, Andriy Kovalenko, head of the security council’s centre on countering disinformation, clarified that the restrictions apply only to work phones, not personal devices.
The report also says that since the war between Ukraine and Russia broke out in 2022, Telegram has become a critical source of information.
The Security Council statement said Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency, had provided evidence that Russian special services could access Telegram messages, including deleted ones, as well as users’ personal data.
“I have always supported and continue to support freedom of speech, but the issue of Telegram is not a matter of freedom of speech, it is a matter of national security,” Budanov said.
What Telegram has to say
Telegram has issued a statement saying it has never disclosed anyone’s data.
“Telegram has never provided any messaging data to any country, including Russia. Deleted messages are deleted forever and are technically impossible to recover,” Telegram said.
It said every instance of what it described as “leaked messages” had been proven to be “the result of a compromised device, whether through confiscation or malware”.
As per Telemetrio database, about 33,000 Telegram channels are active in Ukraine, Reuters report said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy regularly publishes updates on the war and reports important decisions on Telegram.