“You Might As Well Ban Words” Pavel Durov on Russia’s Proposal to Block Telegram
A proposal to block the instant messaging service Telegram in Russia after Islamic State attacks in France, garnered a little support on Monday.
State Duma Deputy Alexander Ageyev on Monday was reported as having asked the head of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov to consider banning access to the service, state-run RIA Novosti reported Monday.
The instant messaging service was reportedly used by the terrorists behind a series of coordinated attacks in Paris on Friday night in which at least 120 people were killed. There are reports about the using of Telegram by Islamic State militants during Friday’s terror night.
“Telegram is actively used for propaganda purposes by the Islamic State” Ageyev was cited as saying in the report. “You can assume that they are recruiting Russian citizens for the Islamic State on there.”
The proposal was received with little enthusiasm.
Communications Minister Nikolai Nikiforov said blocking the service because it was popular among Islamic State militants would be “as smart as, for example, banning Toyota cars, because they would be popular among Islamic State ,” he was cited as saying in a separate RIA Novosti report.
“I propose banning words. There’s evidence that they’re being used by terrorists to communicate” he said Monday on his personal VKontakte page.
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I don’t know how to contact with you, having a proposal, I rather propound it in private