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But they reminded of the possibility of a temporary restriction of the service.
The European Commission told Izvestia that a complete blocking of the Telegram messenger in the European Union is not currently being considered. However, there is a special procedure that allows you to temporarily suspend the service in the EU countries if it poses risks to the security of the Union states.
European Commission spokesman Thomas Rainier explained that the temporary suspension of the platform is possible only if there is a serious violation of public security in the European Union. According to him, the probability of such a scenario is extremely small.
Rainier also noted that the European Commission is conducting its own calculations of the number of Telegram users in the EU. If the number of users exceeds 45 million, the platform will be recognized as a "very large online platform" and will fall under the direct supervision of the European Commission. According to Telegram, as of February 2024, there were 41 million users of the messenger in the EU, but the European Commission believes that the real number is higher.
Within the European Union, the Belgian Institute of Postal Services and Telecommunications (IBPT) oversees the work of Telegram. The agency confirmed to Izvestia that it interacts with the European Commission and Telegram, but did not disclose data on the number of users of the platform.
If Telegram is nevertheless recognized as a "very large online platform", the EC will be able to temporarily suspend its activities throughout the EU. However, this is an extreme measure, which the European Commission will take only in case of continuing violations of the law. Initially, the platform will be fined up to 6% of the company's global annual turnover.
Rainier also explained that the suspension of the platform in the EU will be a temporary measure, since if Telegram begins to comply with the DSA requirements again, there will be no need to interfere with its functioning.
According to the DSA, major online platforms should provide users with a tool to easily report illegal content. Such messages must be promptly processed, and the content must be deleted. In addition, platforms are required to cooperate with individuals or organizations in EU countries that "based on their experience and skills" will signal illegal content subject to moderation.
Igor Bederov, head of the Internet Search company, noted that the EU has every opportunity to accurately count the number of Telegram users and, if necessary, block its work. According to him, all major telecom operators, such as Vodafone, work centrally, so it is not difficult to get data about Telegram users from them. Usually, we are talking about active users who visit the messenger at least once a week. As for blocking, unlike Russia, Europe uses packet traffic analysis technologies that allow you to determine exactly which resources the user is accessing, and thus block access to Telegram at the traffic level.
Telegram has repeatedly attracted the attention of European authorities. The administration of the application was accused of promoting the spread of disinformation and supporting extremism. In March 2024, a court in Spain temporarily banned the service due to complaints from media companies about copyright infringement. In March 2023, Norway banned the use of Telegram on the work devices of civil servants.
Discussions about blocking Telegram in the EU intensified after the detention of messenger creator Pavel Durov in France in August 2024. He was accused of Telegram providing encryption services to criminals, including the distribution of child pornography and drugs. Durov is under recognizance not to leave. In other EU countries, claims were also made to the messenger. The ministers of justice of Denmark and Sweden spoke about the difficulty of fighting crime due to the encryption of messages used in Telegram. In Germany, the messenger was accused of insufficient cooperation with the authorities on countering extremism and terrorism.
According to Bederov, the EU, like Russia, does not have the technical capacity to read the correspondence of all Telegram users. In addition, such actions contradict the principles of the work of law enforcement agencies, which should do this only after obtaining the appropriate permission. However, law enforcement officers can gain access to correspondence if they know the user's phone number, for example, by reissuing a SIM card. "Through the operator, you turn the traffic to yourself and decrypt the traffic that goes to Telegram", the expert said.
Bederov also noted that there is spyware, such as the Israeli Pegasus program, which "read Telegram perfectly". Thus, he concluded, there are many ways to gain access to Telegram correspondence if the name of the criminal is known.
Source
The European Commission told Izvestia that a complete blocking of the Telegram messenger in the European Union is not currently being considered. However, there is a special procedure that allows you to temporarily suspend the service in the EU countries if it poses risks to the security of the Union states.
European Commission spokesman Thomas Rainier explained that the temporary suspension of the platform is possible only if there is a serious violation of public security in the European Union. According to him, the probability of such a scenario is extremely small.
Rainier also noted that the European Commission is conducting its own calculations of the number of Telegram users in the EU. If the number of users exceeds 45 million, the platform will be recognized as a "very large online platform" and will fall under the direct supervision of the European Commission. According to Telegram, as of February 2024, there were 41 million users of the messenger in the EU, but the European Commission believes that the real number is higher.
Within the European Union, the Belgian Institute of Postal Services and Telecommunications (IBPT) oversees the work of Telegram. The agency confirmed to Izvestia that it interacts with the European Commission and Telegram, but did not disclose data on the number of users of the platform.
If Telegram is nevertheless recognized as a "very large online platform", the EC will be able to temporarily suspend its activities throughout the EU. However, this is an extreme measure, which the European Commission will take only in case of continuing violations of the law. Initially, the platform will be fined up to 6% of the company's global annual turnover.
Rainier also explained that the suspension of the platform in the EU will be a temporary measure, since if Telegram begins to comply with the DSA requirements again, there will be no need to interfere with its functioning.
According to the DSA, major online platforms should provide users with a tool to easily report illegal content. Such messages must be promptly processed, and the content must be deleted. In addition, platforms are required to cooperate with individuals or organizations in EU countries that "based on their experience and skills" will signal illegal content subject to moderation.
Igor Bederov, head of the Internet Search company, noted that the EU has every opportunity to accurately count the number of Telegram users and, if necessary, block its work. According to him, all major telecom operators, such as Vodafone, work centrally, so it is not difficult to get data about Telegram users from them. Usually, we are talking about active users who visit the messenger at least once a week. As for blocking, unlike Russia, Europe uses packet traffic analysis technologies that allow you to determine exactly which resources the user is accessing, and thus block access to Telegram at the traffic level.
Telegram has repeatedly attracted the attention of European authorities. The administration of the application was accused of promoting the spread of disinformation and supporting extremism. In March 2024, a court in Spain temporarily banned the service due to complaints from media companies about copyright infringement. In March 2023, Norway banned the use of Telegram on the work devices of civil servants.
Discussions about blocking Telegram in the EU intensified after the detention of messenger creator Pavel Durov in France in August 2024. He was accused of Telegram providing encryption services to criminals, including the distribution of child pornography and drugs. Durov is under recognizance not to leave. In other EU countries, claims were also made to the messenger. The ministers of justice of Denmark and Sweden spoke about the difficulty of fighting crime due to the encryption of messages used in Telegram. In Germany, the messenger was accused of insufficient cooperation with the authorities on countering extremism and terrorism.
According to Bederov, the EU, like Russia, does not have the technical capacity to read the correspondence of all Telegram users. In addition, such actions contradict the principles of the work of law enforcement agencies, which should do this only after obtaining the appropriate permission. However, law enforcement officers can gain access to correspondence if they know the user's phone number, for example, by reissuing a SIM card. "Through the operator, you turn the traffic to yourself and decrypt the traffic that goes to Telegram", the expert said.
Bederov also noted that there is spyware, such as the Israeli Pegasus program, which "read Telegram perfectly". Thus, he concluded, there are many ways to gain access to Telegram correspondence if the name of the criminal is known.
Source
