Ukraine’s National Cyber Security Coordination Centre (NCC) has decided to ban the use of social media platform Telegram for officials, citing security concerns.
The messaging app has been restricted for use by Ukrainian state authorities, military formations, employees within the security and defence sectors, and critical infrastructure enterprises under the move on September 20.
Only those who use Telegram as part of their official duties will be exempt.
НКЦК прийняв рішення обмежити використання Telegram в органах державної влади, військових формуваннях, на об’єктах критичної інфраструктуриhttps://t.co/oomFcAGTAO pic.twitter.com/fEtgjCTlfg
— Прес-служба РНБОУ (@rnbo_gov_ua) September 20, 2024
During an NCC meeting on September 19, Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukraine defence ministry, presented evidence that Russian intelligence services have access to users’ Telegram correspondence, including deleted messages and personal data.
Representatives of Ukraine’s Security Service and the Armed Forces staff also noted that the platform was actively used by Russia to conduct cyberattacks, phishing, malware distribution, tracking users’ geolocation and co-ordinate missile strikes.
The banning of the Telegram app for officials aimed to minimise these threats.
“I have always advocated for freedom of speech, but the issue of Telegram is not about freedom of speech; it is about national security,” said Budanov.
Following the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov on August 24 after his arrival in Paris, Budanov commented in an interview with Radio Khartiya published on September 7 that the app was “harmful to Ukraine national security”.
Telegram has remained a popular app in Ukraine, especially since the beginning of the war with Russia in February 2022 and it has also been one of the key communication channels of both the Russian and Ukrainian armies.
A recent study conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology revealed that 44 per cent of ordinary Ukrainians used the platform to access information and news.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also been using the platform since the Russian invasion for regular updates on the conflict and for addresses to his nation.
For Ukrainian authorities, the move was a matter of “national security and effectively counter threats in cyberspace” and not about restriction of freedoms in the country.
A complete ban on the app has not been imposed, allowing Ukrainians to continue using Telegram on their personal devices.
