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FSB Charges Telegram Founder, $1.26 B Fine Over Terrorism

7/29/2026

25 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The FSB charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorism on July 29 2026.
The FSB says Telegram did not delete extremist channels, chats and bots used for sabotage and terrorism.
Russia fined Telegram $1.26 billion, restricted it, and said a conviction could bring life imprisonment.
Authorities say 46 users aged 12-22 were detained since July 2025 for recruitment via a dating chatbot.

History

Historical Context

After President Vladimir Putin signed the Yarovaya amendments on 7 July 2016, telecoms were ordered to store communications for six months and grant the FSB decryption access, with the rules taking effect on 1 July 2018. When Telegram refused a 2017 key request, the FSB blocked about 16 million IP addresses in 2018, a move abandoned in 2020. The July 2026 indictment of founder Pavel Durov continues this enforcement trajectory.

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Story summary

The FSB charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorism on July 29 2026.
The FSB says Telegram did not delete extremist channels, chats and bots used for sabotage and terrorism.
Russia fined Telegram $1.26 billion, restricted it, and said a conviction could bring life imprisonment.
Authorities say 46 users aged 12-22 were detained since July 2025 for recruitment via a dating chatbot.

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