The Russian government has asked Apple to help it block Telegram, the secure messaging app that's highly popular in the country, reports WCCFTech.
A Russian court in April ordered carriers and internet providers in the country to block Telegram back in April, after Telegram refused to provide Russia with backdoor access to user messages.
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Telegram, for those unfamiliar with the app, offers end-to-end encryption for secure messaging purposes. With end-to-end encryption, no one, not even Telegram, can access the messages that are sent between users.
Despite issuing the block order back in April, Russia has only been able to disrupt Telegram's operations in the country by 15 to 30 percent.
Given the government's inability to block the app, Roskomnadzor, the division of the government that controls media and telecommunications, has demanded that Apple remove the Telegram app from the Russian App Store. The group first asked Apple to remove the app in April, but is appealing to Apple again.
"In order to avoid possible action by Roskomnadzor for violations of the functioning of the above-mentioned Apple Inc. service, we ask you to inform us as soon as possible about your company's further actions to resolve the problematic issue," the regulator wrote.
Roskomnadzor has given Apple one month to remove the Telegram app from the App Store. Roskomnadzor's director Alexander Zharov said he did not want to "forecast further actions" should Apple not comply with the request following the 30 day period.
The Russian government said that it needed access to Telegram to read messages and prevent future terror attacks in the country.
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Top Rated Comments
Telegram is great, much more better than battery hungry, performance hog, space black hole which is Whastapp. Sadly is target yes by government, usually sucky ones, because encryption.
Apple is probably going to be forced to remove the app to keep doing business in Russia, and people in Russia will no longer be able to install the app because their government sucks.
If you're listening, Apple, please enable side-loading. Put it behind as many "This is insecure" dialogs as you want; side-loading would allow people under repressive regimes to keep using the software they need to use.