Telegram Complies with Russian Authorities, Deleting “Hostile” Channels

Telegram has removed over 20 Russian channels following demands from Russian authorities, sparking concerns over the platform’s compliance with government censorship. Among the deleted was the influential anonymous channel VChK-OGPU (Cheka-OGPU), which had more than one million subscribers and was known for publishing sensitive information about Russian law enforcement, special services, and government officials.

The channel’s administrators announced its deletion via a backup account, stating that the removal happened without warning and directly responded to pressure from the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office and media watchdog Roskomnadzor. The administrators expressed hope that Telegram founder Pavel Durov was not personally involved, blaming unnamed members of Telegram’s management team.

Telegram’s press office later told Russian media that the channel was removed by its owners, possibly due to “unauthorized access,” and that an internal investigation is underway.

In July 2024, the Russian Ministry of Justice labeled VChK-OGPU a “foreign agent,” accusing it of forming a negative image of the Russian military and government. The channel had recently published information about Russian war crimes, losses in the Russian army, and attacks on oil refineries. In April 2024, an alleged assassination attempt on the channel’s founder was reportedly under investigation in an EU country.

In December 2024, the Tagansky District Court of Moscow ruled in favor of the government's request to block 22 channels, including VChK-OGPU, for disseminating content deemed harmful to Russia’s “socio-political stability” and for “discrediting” the state and military.

Multiple channels listed in the court’s ruling have since gone offline, raising fresh questions about Telegram’s autonomy and its role in maintaining free expression under growing governmental pressure.

Watch more on The Gaze’s YouTube: Telegram and the Dilemma of Free Speech