Telegram Blocks Russian State Media in EU Under DSA/Sanctions, Russia Vows Retaliation

Dec 31, 2024, 03:15 PM

Telegram has blocked access to channels of major Russian state-owned media outlets across several European Union countries, including Poland, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, and Latvia, under the EU's DSA/sanctions laws. The affected media include RIA Novosti, Izvestia, NTV, Rossiya 1, and Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denounced the action as an act of political censorship and promised to implement symmetrical retaliatory measures if the bans are not reversed. The EU's actions are part of broader sanctions against Kremlin-controlled media, accused of spreading propaganda. In response, Russia has previously restricted access to over 80 European media outlets within its borders. Telegram's founder, Pavel Durov, noted that while access to Russian media has been restricted in the EU, Western media channels remain freely accessible in Russia, suggesting that by 2025, Russian Telegram users might enjoy more media freedom than their European counterparts.