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Telegram Ban Backfires, Causing "Massive Banking Failure" in Russia

Telegram founder Pavel Durov states that Russia's attempts to ban the app and VPNs backfired, triggering a massive disruption to the country's banking infrastructure. He reveals that over 50 million Russians still use Telegram daily despite the government ban. Durov draws a parallel to Iran, where a similar ban led to a "Digital Resistance" of over 50 million active users on the platform. The remarks come amid an escalating confrontation with Russian authorities, who have opened a criminal case against Durov.

Key Points: Russia's Telegram Ban Triggers Banking Failure: Durov

  • Ban attempts backfired
  • Caused banking infrastructure disruption
  • Over 50M daily users in Russia
  • Parallel "Digital Resistance" in Iran
  • Criminal case against Durov
2 min read

Banning Telegram triggered 'massive banking failure' in Russia: Founder Pavel Durov

Telegram founder Pavel Durov says Russia's ban caused a nationwide banking failure, with over 50 million Russians still using the app daily.

"A sad spectacle of a state afraid of its own people. - Pavel Durov"

New Delhi, April 4

Telegram founder Pavel Durov on Saturday said that more than 50 million Russians use the messaging platform daily despite a government ban, as attempts to block virtual private networks triggered a nationwide banking failure that briefly left cash as the only payment method.

Taking to the microblogging platform X, Durov said over 50 million Russians send at least one message on Telegram every day, with total daily active users in Russia reaching 65 million.

He further stated that monthly active users could easily be twice as high.

The Russian government has spent years attempting to ban both Telegram and the VPNs used to access it, but Durov said the blocking attempts backfired, causing a massive disruption to the country's banking infrastructure.

Iran faces a similar situation, Durov added.

Despite banning Telegram years ago, the government's hope of driving users toward state-sanctioned surveillance messaging applications was met instead with mass adoption of VPNs. Telegram now counts over 50 million active members in Iran, which Durov referred to collectively as the 'Digital Resistance.'

"50 million members of the 'Digital Resistance' in Iran are joined by 50 million-plus more in Russia," Durov wrote.

The latest remarks follow an escalating confrontation between Durov and Russian authorities.

In February, Durov said Russia had opened a criminal case against him for 'aiding terrorism', calling it a fabricated pretext to restrict Russians' access to Telegram and suppress privacy and free speech.

"A sad spectacle of a state afraid of its own people," he wrote at the time.

Durov also pushed back in during the month against Russia's broader strategy of banning foreign technology platforms to promote homegrown alternatives, calling the approach delusional.

He argued that every successful national super app such as WeChat, KakaoTalk, and LINE as examples was built through fierce private competition, not by eliminating rivals.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
"Digital Resistance" is a powerful term. It shows that when people's fundamental tools for communication are threatened, they will find a way. In India, we've seen similar pushes for 'Atmanirbhar' apps, but they must compete on merit, not through force. Durov makes a valid point about private competition driving innovation.
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Rohit P
The banking failure part is the real story here! Imagine the chaos if UPI just stopped working because the government tried to block WhatsApp. It's a stark lesson in how interconnected our digital infrastructure is. You can't just pull one thread without risking the whole fabric. 🇮🇳
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Aman W
While I understand the need for national security, calling the founder a terrorist aide seems extreme. It feels more like silencing dissent. In our democracy, we've had debates on privacy vs. security too. A transparent legal process is always better than opaque criminal cases.
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Sarah B
Living in India, I see both sides. We use Telegram for everything - family groups, business, news. But platforms also have a responsibility. The Russian approach of banning and blaming is counterproductive, but so is a platform being completely unaccountable. There has to be a middle path with clear rules.
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Karthik V
The comparison to WeChat and LINE is interesting. China and South Korea built their champions in a specific context. Simply banning foreign apps won't magically create a Indian super-app. It needs a thriving tech ecosystem, investment, and most importantly, user trust. Jio tried, but it's a long road.

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