Russian authorities have declared advertising on Telegram illegal following restrictions on the platform. There is a risk of penalties for operators and advertisers.
Russian authorities have declared that publishing advertisements on the Telegram platform is illegal. They did so following restrictions on his activities in the country. TASR informs about it on the basis of Thursday’s report of the DPA agency.
- Russian authorities have declared the publication of advertisements on the Telegram platform illegal.
- Operators of the social network and advertisers are responsible for illegal advertising on Telegram.
- Moscow’s steps are to further tighten control over the Telegram platform.
Due to Telegram’s restrictions, the Russian antimonopoly agency considers advertising on the platform to be a violation of the law on advertising, Rossiiskaya Gazeta wrote. The responsibility for the publication of this type of content will be borne by the operators of the social network, but also by the advertisers, the agency clarified. DPA reports that Moscow is trying to further tighten its control over the platform with this move.
Tightening restrictions
Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, restrictions on media and social media in Russia have intensified in an effort to limit criticism of the war. Access to the YouTube platform has been limited in the country since 2024, with most videos only accessible via a virtual private network (VPN). From mid-2025, calls and video calls via WhatsApp and Telegram are also blocked. A complete ban on the use of Telegram could apply as early as April.
Accusations and reactions
Telegram is extremely popular in Russia for both private and public communication. However, the authorities claim that illegal and extremist content is allowed to be shared on it. Telegram denies such allegations and says Russia is trying to restrict it to force people to switch to the state-run Max app.
