Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on July 29 that it had formally charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activities. According to reports from Interfax, authorities alleged that Telegram failed to remove content allegedly used by Ukrainian special services as well as terrorist and extremist organizations to coordinate sabotage, terrorist attacks, mass killings, and cyber-fraud operations inside Russia. Durov has now been placed on an international wanted list following these charges, marking one of the most significant legal actions yet against the messaging platform's billionaire founder. The FSB stated that Telegram's administration has not removed numerous channels, chats and bots that are actively used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, terrorist, and extremist organizations to prepare and coordinate acts of sabotage and terrorism, mass murder, and cyberfraud in Russia. The agency also issued an international warrant for his arrest as part of 'an ongoing criminal investigation' against Durov. If convicted, Durov could face up to life in prison in Russia, representing the most severe potential penalty in the case. In response to the charges, Telegram's official account on X posted an image of Durov making an obscene gesture with his middle finger, with no other immediate comment from Durov or the platform. Durov's whereabouts remain unclear - a May 16 Telegram post placed him in Dubai, while a July 23 update suggested he was in Georgia and expected to return soon. He holds Emirati and French passports and has not lived in Russia for more than a decade.
Pavel Durov has now responded publicly to Russia's terrorism charges, posting a statement to his Telegram channel that accused Moscow of punishing him for rejecting state demands for mass surveillance and censorship. According to Reuters, Durov posted a short statement followed by a two-panel image that placed his own photo, captioned 'terrorist', beside Taliban representatives greeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, captioned 'respected partners'. 'Russia has designated me as a 'terrorist' - a label that has been used by the Kremlin to justify the persecution of dissidents, journalists, and political opponents. I am not a terrorist, but I am a threat to the Kremlin's control over information and its ability to manipulate public opinion,' Durov stated in his response. 'Russia has designated me as a 'terrorist' - a label that has been used by the Kremlin to justify the persecution of dissidents, journalists, and political opponents. I am not a terrorist, but I am a threat to the Kremlin's control over information and its ability to manipulate public opinion,' Durov stated in his response. 'Russia has designated me as a 'terrorist' - a label that has been used by the Kremlin to justify the persecution of dissidents, journalists, and political opponents. I am not a terrorist, but I am a threat to the Kremlin's control over information and its ability to manipulate public opinion,' Durov stated in his response.
Australia's online safety regulator has now joined the international legal pressure on Telegram, with the country's eSafety Commissioner commencing Federal Court proceedings against the messaging platform. According to the regulator, Telegram faces penalties of up to A$54.6 million (approximately $38 million) for allegedly failing to remove terror-related content, including video of the March 2019 Christchurch mosque shooting in New Zealand where 51 people were murdered. Julie Inman-Grant, Australia's Safety Commissioner, said the messaging app founded by Pavel Durov faced penalties of up to A$54.6 million for failing to comply with its obligations under the Online Safety Act, as reported by the BBC. The regulator opened the case after a year-long investigation, with the lawsuit adding to mounting legal pressure on the messaging app. 'This case concerns content linked to some of the most notorious acts of known extremist violence in recent history, including material associated with the Christchurch and Buffalo terror attacks. We allege that this content remained accessible on the service long after Telegram had been put on notice,' Inman-Grant stated according to Reuters. Telegram has denied the allegations and said it will contest them in court, with a spokesperson citing thousands of extremist communities blocked during 2026 alone as part of its enforcement program. The case centers on content associated with the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand and the 2022 Buffalo supermarket shooting in the United States, with authorities alleging the material remained accessible to users for an extended period after enforcement notices were issued. Telegram has rejected these allegations and will contest them in court, with a spokesperson emphasizing that the platform's anti-terrorism efforts are well-documented and robust.
Telegram, founded in 2013, has grown into one of the world's largest messaging platforms, serving more than one billion users globally. The app remains heavily used across both Russia and Ukraine despite the ongoing conflict, making it central to the Russia-Ukraine information war. Russian authorities claim Telegram has become a tool exploited by hostile actors to organize attacks and cyber operations, while critics argue that Moscow's pressure on the platform reflects broader efforts to increase state control over digital communications and encrypted platforms. Charges against Durov come as Russia restricts Telegram, one of the most popular messaging apps in the country, highlighting the ongoing regulatory tensions between the platform and Russian authorities. Russia began restricting Telegram's operations in the country last August, with communications regulator Roskomnadzor stating in February that the company was still failing to comply with Russian law and that restrictions would remain until requirements were met. Despite these restrictions, state bodies including the Kremlin and the defence ministry continue to post to Telegram on a daily basis, demonstrating the platform's continued utility for official communications. Telegram, home of many crypto-related discussion groups, hosting project communities, trading groups, bots and blockchain-based mini apps, serves as a critical platform for digital asset communities and blockchain projects. Inman Grant said Australians visit Telegram 1.5 million times a month on average, with the platform reporting more than 1 billion users worldwide and offering groups of up to 200,000 members.
The FSB's latest charges include specific allegations about Ukrainian security services using Telegram for targeted recruitment operations. According to the agency's statement, Ukrainian security services used a popular dating chatbot on Telegram to lure and recruit Russians for sabotage and terrorist activities. The FSB reports that 46 users of the chatbot, aged 12 to 22 years old, have been detained across Russia since July 2025 for assaulting law enforcement officers, arson and other acts. These charges represent an escalation from previous allegations, as the FSB now specifically links Telegram's platform to 'numerous human casualties' resulting from coordinated terrorist activities. The agency's statement emphasizes that these actions resulted in 'numerous human casualties' in Russia, highlighting the alleged severity of the platform's role in facilitating terrorist operations.
Markets have shown mixed reactions to the latest developments, with GRAM (GRAM), the Telegram-linked token Durov rebranded from Toncoin in June, trading near $1.42, up 1.7% over 24 hours. According to Reuters, markets have largely shrugged off the terrorism charges, with enforcement remaining the open question as Durov holds French and UAE citizenship and lives in Dubai, so any arrest would need cooperation Moscow has not yet secured. Russian banks must freeze the personal assets of anyone on the Rosfinmonitoring list and cut off financial services, covering Durov himself but not Telegram as a legal entity. French prosecutors lifted his travel restrictions in November, adding another layer of complexity to potential enforcement actions. Daily trading volume for GRAM sits at $44.6 million, up from $41 million yesterday, with the token maintaining its position as the 24th largest digital asset with a market cap of $3.86 billion. While the immediate market response has been muted, the ongoing legal proceedings and potential enforcement actions continue to create uncertainty around the platform's operations and Durov's personal situation. Whether the Federal Court imposes the maximum penalty may signal how aggressively Australia will enforce its online safety standards against global platforms.
