Ukraine Telegram Ban for Government Devices: A National Security Imperative

Ukraine Telegram Ban: A Response to National Security Threats

Ukraine has issued a ban on the use of Telegram messaging platform on official devices designated for government, military personnel, and critical infrastructure employees. The National Security and Defence Council (Rnbo) of Ukraine made this crucial decision to mitigate security risks linked to Russia, which has been engaged in warfare with Ukraine since its full-scale invasion in 2022.

Reasons Behind the Ban

• Telegram has been actively exploited by Russian forces for various cyber-attacks, including phishing and malware distribution.
• Evidence presented by Kyrylo Budanov, head of military intelligence, highlights that Russian special services access personal messages on Telegram, even those deleted.
• The meeting included critical support from military officials, information security specialists, and lawmakers.

Exceptions to this ban have been made for officials whose duties require the use of Telegram. Government and military officials will be allowed to manage their official Telegram accounts, as clarified by Andriy Kovalenko, head of Rnbo’s counter-disinformation unit.

Telegram's Role in Ukraine

Despite the ban on official devices, Telegram remains a widely used platform for news in Ukraine, with a survey revealing that 72% of Ukrainians utilize it for this purpose. Co-founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov in 2013 and now holding French citizenship, Durov faces legal scrutiny in France amid discussions on freedom of speech and the accountability of social platforms.