“The Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine stated that the decision applies specifically to official devices”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
According to the NSDC, this decision was made at a meeting of the center on September 19, the key topic of which was the discussion of threats to national security associated with the use of Telegram, especially during a full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine.
“In order to minimize threats, a decision was made to ban the installation and use of Telegram on the official devices of employees of state authorities, military personnel, employees of the security and defense sector, as well as enterprises – operators of critical infrastructure. Exceptions will be made only by those persons for whom the use of this messenger is part of official duties,” the message reads.
According to the NSDC, during the meeting, the head of the Main Intelligence Department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, cited “reasonable data” regarding the availability of Russian special services to the personal correspondence of Telegram users, even deleted messages, as well as their personal data.
“I have always stood up and stand up for freedom of speech, but the issue of Telegram is not a matter of freedom of speech, it is a matter of national security,” he said.
Representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine and the General Staff of the Armed Forces noted that Telegram is actively used by aggressors for cyber attacks, phishing and spreading malicious software, establishing the geolocation of users, correcting missile strikes, the report says.
The Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine stated that the decision specifically concerns official devices.
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“Simply put, civil servants, military personnel, and critical infrastructure workers should not use Telegram on official computers. I’ve said before that there are risks involved in sending work documents via Telegram from work devices. Now this is a collective decision. But it does not apply to your personal smartphones,” Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the NSDC, wrote in a telegram.
Telegram became a key social network during Russia’s war against Ukraine. According to the Internews study, 72% of Ukrainians use Telegram for news. Some government agencies also trust this social network, using it for official communication. Critics believe that Telegram plays a role in Russian disinformation.
The platform, which is based in Dubai and has more than 900 million users worldwide, was founded by Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov in 2013. In his first major interview in seven years, which he gave to American commentator Tucker Carlson in April this year, Durov assured that Telegram is a “neutral platform” and does not “play a role in geopolitics.”
In Ukraine, however, critics are concerned that the app spreads misinformation and promotes illegal activity. Some accuse Telegram of ties to the Russian state and facilitating its military actions. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has registered a draft law on the regulation of Telegram in Ukraine.