Ukraine has restricted using the Telegram messaging app by authorities officers, army personnel, and different protection and demanding infrastructure employees, citing nationwide safety issues.
The ban was introduced by the Nationwide Coordination Centre for Cybersecurity (NCCC) in a put up shared on Fb.
“I’ve all the time advocated and advocate for freedom of speech, however the subject of Telegram just isn’t a query of freedom of speech, it’s a matter of nationwide safety,” Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s GUR army intelligence company, mentioned.
Ukraine’s Nationwide Safety and Protection Council (NSDC) mentioned that Telegram is “actively utilized by the enemy” to launch cyber assaults, unfold phishing messages and malicious software program, observe customers’ whereabouts, and collect intelligence to assist the Russian army goal Ukraine’s amenities with drones and missiles.
To that finish, using Telegram has been proscribed on official units of staff of state authorities, army personnel, staff of the safety and protection sector, in addition to enterprises which might be operators of crucial infrastructure.
It is value noting that the ban doesn’t prolong to non-public telephones, or individuals who use the app as a part of their official duties.
In a press release shared with Reuters, Telegram mentioned it has not supplied any private knowledge to any nation, together with Russia, and that deleted messages are completely deleted with no manner of recovering them.
The event comes weeks after Telegram’s CEO was arrested in France after which launched on bail in reference to an investigation into using the favored messaging app for baby pornography, drug trafficking, and fraud.